


Anna's Dad

by MsCaptainWinchester (rons_pigwidgeon)



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha Cain (Supernatural), Alpha Castiel (Supernatural), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - High School, Beta Anna, Beta Meg Masters, Castiel/Dean Winchester Flirting, Dean in a Suit, Dean/Cas Big Bang Challenge 2017, F/F, F/M, FBI Agent Mary Winchester, High School Student Charlie, High School Student Dean, Knotting, M/M, May/December Relationship, No Underage Sex, Omega Dean, Parent Castiel, Past Lisa Braeden/Dean Winchester, Prom, Punk Castiel, Punk Meg Masters, Referenced Threesome - F/F/M, References to Oral Knotting, Rimming, Robotics, Robotics Engineer Dean, Semi-Public Sex, Sexism, Sexist Cole Trenton, Tattooed Castiel, Tattoos, Twink Dean, Vaginal Fingering, Writer Castiel, high school student anna, safe sex, underage pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-18
Updated: 2017-10-18
Packaged: 2019-01-18 01:16:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 35,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12377901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rons_pigwidgeon/pseuds/MsCaptainWinchester
Summary: When Charlie talked him into joining the prom committee, Dean was not happy about it. He’s not even interested in going to prom, let alone planning it. But a meeting at committee chairman Anna Novak's house changes all that. When Dean meets her smoking hot dad, a punk gothic god covered in the most alluring tattoos, it alters his entire perspective. Now he’s hanging out with Anna all the time and finding every excuse to flirt with her gorgeous dad.Castiel Novak swore off romantic relationships when his mate died a decade ago. Now he writes novels, throws lavish Halloween parties, and drinks with his fuck-buddy, Meg. When he meets Anna’s stunning friend, Dean, all his determination to keep emotions out of the equation goes flying out the window. Now it’s all he can do to keep his hands to himself in the face of relentless temptation.Will Dean ever get to see how far down Mr. Novak’s tattoos go? Will Castiel get over his hang-ups and let Dean in? Or will they both go their separate ways without ever knowing if their explosive chemistry could be more than just a tryst behind the pool shed? Featuring sexist classmates, a champion robot named Leia, growly alphas, and a prom theme from Hell (er… Hogwarts).





	Anna's Dad

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the 2017 Dean/Castiel Big Bang. It was based off of this [prompt](https://mscaptainwinchester.tumblr.com/post/158007640781/taronkray-stacys-mom-au-where-dean-is-the).
> 
> All art for this story was created by the wonderfully talented FrescaFish! Thank you for making such gorgeous pieces for this story!
> 
> Also thanks to my beta, GISHWHES captain, and all-around fantastic friend TackyGoldring for always being game no matter what nonsense I throw at you.

[ ](https://imgur.com/VLYQHyX)

"This is fucking sexist, and you know it," Dean says as he drops his backpack on the table with more force than necessary. Charlie doesn't even bat an eye.

"I cannot be the only omega on this thing. Plus, it'll look good on your college apps. Don't tell me you don't give a flip about that."

"I'm applying to engineering schools, Bradbury. Prom committee is not going to matter to them. If anything, it makes me look less qualified to be an engineer."

"Wow, talk about sexist."

Dean glares. Charlie spins the lollipop around in her mouth and grins around the shape of it.

Dean turns his attention to the front where Anna Novak is writing a list on the board with pink marker. There is an intimidating pile of binders piled on the desk in front of her. Becky Rosen is perched at the table with a laptop and an uneven stack of clipboards. On the other side of the table, Dean's prickly history teacher, Mr. Crowley, is sitting with his arms crossed, glaring at the room. Dean can already tell this is going to be _involved_. _Fuck my life,_ he thinks, dropping his forehead into his palm. He looks up at the sound of another person entering and has to muffle a curse in the crook of his elbow. Lisa Braeden, The Ex, followed by his least favorite person on the planet: Cole Trenton. "I'm going to kill you," he whisper/threatens Charlie.

Charlie pulls her lollipop out of her mouth, eyes wide with false innocence. "I had no idea they were on the committee, I swear."

"Traitor," Dean mutters as he straightens up, deciding he needs to look like he isn't miserable if the You-Should-Be-With-An-Alpha couple is going to be here. He has no time for all that gender politics stereotype bullshit, but he's not going to sit back and let them think he's wallowing either. Cole nods to Dean as they take seats at the next lab table over.

"Is this everyone?" Anna asks.

"I think Garth said he was coming," Charlie says.

Dean whips his head around to stare at her. "Garth? Really? You said you didn't want to be the only omega on the committee," Dean growls into her ear.

"You already signed up. You're committed. Get over it," she tells him, popping the lollipop back in with a smirk.

Just then, Garth lopes in with a chipper, "Howdie, all," and plops down on the other side of Dean.

"Okay, everyone's here then, great. We've got a lot of logistics to figure out today. Mr. Crowley, do you have anything to say before we start?"

Crowley gives her a withering look. "I am only here for the overtime pay. As long as you don't plan a drug-induced pagan orgy, I don't care."

Anna doesn't appear fazed by this. "Right, okay. First up, we need to pick a date." Anna points at the first of many bullet points under the title 'To Do': Event Date, Budget, Money Management, Possible Themes, Fundraising Sub-Commitee, Entertainment Sub-Committee, Post-Prom Options, Decorating Sub-Committee. The list makes Dean nervous. He hadn't thought this whole prom thing would be so complicated. Doesn't Charlie know they have Leia shit to do? When she turns around, she gives them all a reassuring smile. "I know it's a lot, but I was reading on a couple of blogs that it's good to get this stuff set-up now, so we don't have to scramble later when we're all going to be busy with school stuff."

"The date is the most important thing right now. The ballroom books up fast in May," Becky says, already typing.

Dean leans into Charlie's side again as Becky keeps talking. "Why is a Freshman on the committee, again?"

"Her dad owns the hotel hosting it. She got it for the cost of staff, which saves a shitload of money."

"And that's worth the headache?"

"Be nice."

"If she asks me one question about Sam, I'm gone." He sits up straight again and tries to tune back into the conversation. He can already tell this is going to be a long afternoon.

Three hours later, they've decided a date, picked three themes to let the student body vote on—one of which is fucking Harry Potter because Charlie hates him—and Dean has managed to get himself roped into doing the entertainment sub-committee, which means he's going to have to have to work with Charlie on figuring out _how_ the student body will be voting on not only the theme, but also court nominations and Prom King and Queen. Which is just great, seeing as he could not give a flying fuck about any of it. The only saving grace is that the next meeting will be at Anna's McMansion, and she's got a hot tub.

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/VLYQHyX)

 

"This house is insane. I thought it was just Anna and her dad? What do two people do with this much house?" Dean says as he pulls up to the address Charlie directed him to, a giant Victorian mansion. He'd known Anna lived in a big house, but this looked like something out of a cheery version of the Addam's Family. Charlie's on her phone texting Gilda and barely looks up as they park.

"Her dad's a writer. Probably wanted the extra rooms to clean so he has an excuse not to write," she says as she opens the car door with a creek of the hinges. Dean makes a mental note to oil them next weekend as he follows her up to the house.

"That doesn't make any sense."

"You haven't met any writers, have you?"

Anna opens the door before he can answer, all smiles and somehow even prettier than usual, but Dean can't pin-point what's different. "Hey guys, glad you could make it. I've got things set up in the den, if you want to set your laptop up," she greets them, stepping aside to let them in. Charlie heads in what must be the direction of the den. Dean moves to follow her, but is stopped by Anna's voice.

"Want to help me bring in the snacks, Dean? I can show you a bit of the house on the way. I think you're the only person on the committee who hasn't been here before." There's something in her voice, faint, but definitely there. Interest.

"Uh, yeah, sure." He follows her in the opposite direction, barely glancing at the decor as they walk down a long hall lined with strange art towards the smell of popcorn. He finds his attention on Anna instead. Her long legs are on display in her short shorts, and her red hair swings past her shoulder blades as she walks. Watching it, he realizes what's different. Her hair is curled, soft ringlets that curve half-way down her back. Now that he's paying attention, he thinks she might be wearing more make-up than usual, too.

"Try not to pay attention to the art. Dad's kind of dedicated to the whole punk goth aesthetic." She flashes him a smile as she ushers him into a large, high-ceilinged kitchen. It's way too modern to be original, but still has the goth thing going on. The cabinets are taller than he's used to, ornately carved and lacquered a shiny black. There's a skull candy dish on the island filled with M&Ms, the lid set aside like a weird medical experiment. Anna rolls her eyes when he looks up at her again, but her smile is fond. "It's a bit much, I know. Sometimes I think he brings stuff like that home just to mess with me."

"I think it's kind of cool. Not what I would have expected, but still." He steps a little closer to her, testing the waters. The way her glance warms up tells him all he needs to know.

"Snacks were promised," comes Charlie's voice form the complete opposite direction of the hallway. Charlie appears a moment later, followed by Garth, who waves with his usual goofy smile.

Anna picks up a bowl of popcorn and hands it to Dean. "Snacks, right, sorry. I was explaining my dad's… taste to Dean." She hands a tray of drinks off to Garth and grabs a pitcher of what looks like lemonade. Charlie less than subtly takes the skull, putting the lid on it after grabbing a handful of candy and stuffing it in her mouth.

They head the way Charlie and Garth came from, following a shorter hallway into a larger room stuffed full with Victorian couches and high-backed chairs. Lisa and Becky are already there, Becky sprawled out on her front on the floor with her laptop in front of her and her legs in the air, Lisa sitting cross-legged in a high-backed chair with a throw pillow in her lap and her phone in her hand. Garth serves them both drinks before setting the tray on the coffee table. Dean takes a seat as far from Lisa as he can manage, and Anna takes a seat close to him on the same couch, but not touching.

"So, have we thought any more about DJ vs laptop and speaker rental?" she asks, grabbing a notebook and pen from a familiar stack of binders.

"I looked up speaker rental, and for what we'd need, it would probably be about even," Charlie says.

"My dad's lady friend is in a band. We might be able to borrow some of their equipment if I can get him to convince her it's for a good cause."

"Ooo, what kind of band? Maybe they could play prom," Becky says with more enthusiasm than Dean has ever shown in his life.

Anna's face is all diplomacy. "Uh… that's an interesting thought, but I doubt Meg would be on board with playing a prom. Besides, they're a punk band. Not exactly prom material."

"Damn. My dreams of having a 90s teen rom-com prom are dashed again," Charlie says with a fake pout.

"That could be our theme," Dean says.

"Yeah, I'm sure the general population would jump at 90s rom-com, Dean. Just suck it up. It's going to be the Yule Ball whether you like it or not," Charlie tells him.

"Fuck Harry Potter," he mutters. He's going to do everything he can to get Candyland voted in instead, even if he has to rig the damn votes. He snatches the skull away from Charlie and stuffs his mouth with M&Ms in consolation.

Anna rubs his knee, the touch a surprise. He gives her a warm smile.

They're spit-balling fundraising options when a voice interrupts them, so deep it should be a sin. It curls down Dean's spine and pools in his stomach. "Anna, have you seen the M&M jar? It's not in the kitchen… Oh, hello everyone. I didn't realize we had company." An incredibly sexy alpha appears in the doorway with a surprised expression on his gorgeous face. He's wearing tight, dark jeans, his muscular chest mostly visible through the ratty gray t-shirt he's wearing. Dean can't look away from the array of intricately draw black tattoos that crawl up his arms and over his shoulders and chest. Dean hadn't thought tattoos were a kink of his, but fuck if he's isn't turned all the way on by them. He has to thank his mother for making him wear blockers to hide his scent, otherwise he'd be stinking the place up with omega arousal with just a look at the man.

"Hey Dad, we're doing prom stuff." Anna says.

"I hope it's going well. Good evening everyone. Charlie, nice to see you again. I don't believe I know the rest of you." He looks them each in the eye as Anna introduces them. He stops at Dean, and doesn't look away for much longer than is probably proper. Dean doesn't mind. His eyes are a hypnotic blue that Dean has no desire to look away from.

Mr. Novak eventually clears his throat and turns away, scanning the area until he locks eyes on the candy skull. "Well, it's been lovely to meet all of you, but I have to get back to my work. If you don't mind, I'll just be taking this… If you want it back, Anna knows where to find me. Have fun." He picks the skull up from it's place near Charlie, considerably lighter now than when Dean first encountered it. What look like elaborate black-inked wings span his back, the tips disappearing below his waistline where the shirt rides up as he leans over. Dean can't look away until he's gone.

When he turns back to the room, Charlie has a knowing brow raised at him. Dean throws a popcorn kernel at her and starts devising a way to ask to get Anna to send him looking for the M&Ms again.

"Is it a good idea for us to hold meetings here, Anna? You didn't tell us your dad was an alpha," Lisa says in a tone Dean is all too familiar with.

Anna turns a sharp look on her. "What does that matter?"

"We have three omegas on the committee."

"And what? You think he'll alpha-out because he's within scenting distance of an omega? Gross. Stop being sexist."

Lisa huffs, but she must realize she's lost the room, because she doesn't say anything else about it. Dean wants to chew her out for trying to make decisions for him (and Charlie and Garth), but that's maybe a can of worms that doesn't need to be opened at their second committee meeting. He's unhappy to see Cole's obvious influence on her, though. She hadn't been quite that sexist when they were dating.

The group moves on, thankfully. A few minutes later, Dean's phone chirps with a text from Charlie. **Dodged a bullet with that one. Yikes.** He can't hold in his snort.

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/VLYQHyX)

 

Dean closes his locker just in time to see Anna walking up to him with a little skip in her step. "Hey there," she greets him, stepping close up to him. "I was hoping I'd catch you before you left. I invited Charlie and Gilda to come over to swim and hang out tomorrow, and I was wondering if you wanted to come, too?"

The question surprises him less than it should. Even though they've only spoken during class in the weeks following the meeting at her house, the tension Dean noticed before is still there, and Dean hasn't let himself feel bad about cultivating it yet. He isn't leading her on per se… she is hot, and he wouldn't mind dating her in the abstract. But that dad of hers. Dean's jerked off in the shower more than once to the thought of being pinned down by those strong hands and fucked within an inch of his life. He'd let Anna drive the Impala for a whole day if it meant he got to see Mr. Novak again. "Yeah, that sounds cool. Not gonna get many more chances to swim before winter, are we?"

Anna wrinkles her nose. "Ugh, don't remind me. I'm so sick of listening to everyone talk about pumpkin spice lattes and sweater weather. I just want it to be summer forever." She leans a little closer to him, and he doesn't lean away.

"What time do you want everyone over?"

"Whenever. I'll be out there all day."

"Cool. I was gonna help my dad at the shop in the morning, but after lunch?"

"Perfect." She smiles that pretty, happy smile at him, and he almost feels bad for his next question.

"What about your uh… your dad? He gonna be home?"

"Yeah, but he'll probably be writing all day. He's got a big deadline coming up, and he might as well be building a cocoon in his office to turn his draft in on time."

"Cool." Sam walking up to them stops him from asking more questions about her dad, which is probably a good thing. He doesn't want to seem too interested, at least not to her.

"Are we gonna go? Mom said she wanted us home right after school, remember?" Sam says. Dean gives him a look and he turns to smile at Anna. "Hi Anna, sorry for interrupting."

"Don't mind him. Smart enough to skip a grade, but never learned any manners." Dean pulls his brother into a headlock, but Sam quickly pulls out of it and punches Dean's arm.

"Stop it, jerk! I've got manners."

"Go find the car. I'll be there in a minute." He gives Sam a gentle shove in the shoulder, and Sam does as ordered with a scowl. When he's out of earshot, Dean turns back to Anna with an apologetic smile. "He still doesn't know how to talk to girls. Or people, really. Anyway, I'll be over after lunch tomorrow?"

"I'll be there."

"Alright, I'll see you then." She leans up on tip-toe to kiss his cheek, a thin blush pinking her cheeks. He backs away slowly, waving, before turning and walking away. He's going to Hell. But if he gets to see Mr. Novak again, it might be worth it. If Mr. Novak doesn't pan out, at least he knows Anna's interested.

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/VLYQHyX)

 

"How dare you? Sera is clearly the best choice for range attacks," Charlie exclaims, falling off her inflated donut in her enthusiasm.

"But Varric has the best banter," Gilda says through her attempts to stifle a laugh.

"…Are you serious right now? Varric? Sera is the best sarcastic little shit in Thedas! How can you… I… We're breaking up," she says, crossing her arms in a pout.

"Fine, fine, Sera is the best, of course," Gilda assures her, swimming close enough to kiss her with the kind of soft eyes Dean wished someone would turn his way once in awhile.

He sighs to himself and drops his head against the back of the lounger he's laid out on. He's been drying in the sun for a good half an hour and figures it's okay to go in the house now. "Hey, I gotta empty the pipes. Okay if I go in the house for a minute?" It's a lie, but he hasn't seen Mr. Novak yet today, and he wants to rectify that.

Anna is sprawled out on a raft with her foot hooked on the ledge as a buoy. She peers at him with a hand shielding her eyes from the sun. "Sure. You know where the bathroom is?"

"I can find it." He heads into the house, but slows his pace as soon as he's out of sight of the pool. He might know where the bathroom is, but he isn't sure where Mr. Novak's holed up writing. The downstairs is lined with an odd mix of low-key House of Horrors décor and pictures of Anna and her dad and what must be other family and friends. Dean finds himself fixated on a picture of Anna in a party dress, probably five years younger, posed with her dad in front of an elaborate set design that Dean vaguely recognizes from Phantom Horror, one of Dean's favorite movies. Her dad is dressed in a casual version of a three-piece suit, dark jeans under a deep purple waist coat and a black and white striped suit jacket. His hair is purple to match the waistcoat and it looks like he might be wearing eyeliner. The image makes Dean salivate.

He tears himself away from the picture, more determined than ever to find the man. He decides to try upstairs even though it's a risk. He hadn't been shown upstairs in his previous visit, and he has no idea whether or not it's forbidden territory. It gets him where he needs to be, though, because he can hear the music before he's halfway up the stairs. He slows, pleased to hear Def Leppard. The vibe upstairs is much more mellow, cream colored walls and dark wood floors with little decoration except for a giant antelope skull crowned in flowers hung above the doorway at the far end hall.

The door is where the music is coming from, but Dean takes his time getting there, suddenly nervous. Should he knock? Pretend he was looking for the bathroom and couldn't get Anna to show him because she's still in the pool?

He doesn't have long to talk himself up to knocking because the door opens to a rumpled looking Mr. Novak, his brows furrowed, sniffing the air. He stops short at seeing Dean.

"Hi." Dean gives him a shy smile.

"Hello… Dean, isn't it?" He opens the door wider, affording Dean a view of the walls of books that fill his office. Dean barely registers them, though, because Novak doesn't have a shirt on, only soft-looking dark gray sweatpants. His toned chest is as decorated as his arms, a bleeding heart inked over his breast bone with ruins circling it and spiraling out towards his shoulders, only to be met with large symbols Dean doesn't recognize on each of his shoulders. There's a grouping of roses trailing from the heart to his neck, stopping just below where a shirt collar might stop. Dean has to struggle to keep his eyes level with Mr. Novak's. All he can think about his exploring every line with his tongue.

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/7AgvDvT)

 

"Yeah, sorry. I uh… I was looking for the bathroom, and I kind of got turned around downstairs?" he lies.

"Oh, is Anna not home?"

"She's in the pool." He indicates his swim trunks with a hand, pleased when it prompts Novak's eyes to travel down his front, heating as they go. The scent of alpha arousal is unmistakable. Dean can't help the wicked smile that creeps up on his face. "You could join us if you wanted a break."

Novak's eyes travel back up to fixate on his lips and he licks his own before meeting Dean's eyes again. "Thank you, but I'm already in danger of missing my deadline. I can show you where the restroom downstairs is, though."

"Yeah, that'd be great. Hey, what's with the skull? You into hunting?" he stalls, pointing at the skull above the door.

Novak looks up at it with a fond smile and reaches up to rub the snout. "It's plaster. My late wife brought it home from a trip to Albuquerque the year before Anna was born. I hung it above my writing desk and sold my first book six months later. I've had it hanging above my writing space ever since. Sort of a good luck charm, I guess. Anna added the flower crown."

Dean smiles at him. "It's pretty cool."

"Thank you." He looks back at Dean with a matching smile. They don't look away for a long minute. Just when Dean's becoming convinced he could live in Mr. Novak's eyes, the man clears his throat. "You were looking for the restroom." He holds a hand out to indicate Dean should precede him back towards the stairs. Dean does, making sure to put a little more swagger than usual in his step. When he glances over his shoulder to 'check' if he's going the right way, he's pleased to find Novak's eyes firmly on his ass. He walks down the stairs unable to hide his smirk.

"Your house is really cool," he says as they reach the bottom of the stairs. He caresses the lion's head carved into the railing, not even lying this time. The house is amazing, if a little too Tales of the Crypt for him.

Novak touches the lion's mane, standing close. "I like having projects when I'm blocked, and this house is nothing but projects. Worth it, though." He looks up at Dean and clears his throat again. "The uh… the bathroom is this way."  They head down the hall Dean walked through to find him in the first place and stop at a closed door. Novak opens it to reveal the bathroom Dean already knew was there.

"Thanks, Mr. Novak" He slips past Novak, making sure to brush close enough to touch skin to skin. Novak's eyes dilate at the touch. Dean only just manages to keep the smirk off his face, pleased the pool water did it's job washing his blockers away. "Hey, if you ever need any help with your projects, I'm real handy. I could help."

"Hmm?" Novak blinks at him. "Oh, yes, thank you, Dean. I'll let you know if I ever need help."

Dean shuts the door with a nod and collapses against it as soon as the lock clicks, basking in the scent of intoxicating Alpha now stuck to his skin.  It's a long minute before he hears footsteps head back towards the stairs.

He jumps right into the pool when he gets back outside. Anna would probably notice if he came out of the house smelling like her dad, as much as it pains him to wash the scent away.

"Did you get lost?" Charlie asks, whacking him over the head with a pool noodle.

He bats it away and splashes her in retaliation. "No, just got distracted looking at all the wall art. There's a lot of weird cool shit on those walls."

Anna rolls off her raft and swims over to them. "While you were gone, we decided to get a pizza. You in?"

"Yeah, sure." As the girls argue over toppings, Dean looks back up at the house and is surprised to find a figure standing in an upstairs window, watching them. He gives a little wave, but is disappointed to see the figure quickly move away from the window instead of waving back.

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/VLYQHyX)

 

Dean is looking out the back window as he cuts chicken breasts into thin strips, and Castiel takes the opportunity to admire the cut of his biceps. Anna had assured him that Dean played no sports, but he must work out somehow to build those muscles. Unusual for an omega—and omega he definitely is. The sweet scent of him had lingered on Castiel's skin for hours after his accidental touch the day of the pool gathering. A part of himself he wishes he could ignore laments the fact that Dean normally wears blockers. "Hey, want me to rake those leaves for you this weekend?" Dean asks, breaking the quiet they'd been working in for the last ten minutes.

Dean has been coming over for study sessions with Anna for a few weeks now, and he always offerd to help with dinner. He is so adept at chopping vegetables and so amenable to talk to that Castiel hadn't objected the first time. Now the developing closeness between them is starting to make him question his choice. "Hmm?" he asks from his place standing over the stove.

"Your backyard is covered. Want me to rake them up for you?"

"Oh, um… that isn't necessary. I just haven't called out lawn service to take care of it yet. Thank you, though." His blood pressure couldn't take seeing Dean doing manual labor right outside his window for an afternoon. Nor could the novel he's woefully behind revising.

"You sure? I don't mind. I kind of owe you guys for feeding me so much lately."

"You're a guest. Besides, if you weren't here on a regular basis to force me to be hospitable, I might never leave my office."

Dean drops the knife in mock surprise. "Are you telling me you would let your only daughter starve if I wasn't here?"

Cas finds himself smiling at the tease. "Anna knows how to order food for herself just fine."

"So you'd starve if I weren't here, then?" Dean picks the knife back up and goes back to work. "Glad I'm here then. Wouldn't want a hungry alpha wasting away on my account."

His eyes are twinkling with mirth and something deeper, more feral, that makes Castiel swallow the lump in his throat and focus back on his work. If he isn't careful, he'll forget that Dean's in high school and his daughter's possible boyfriend and fuck him against that counter. That can't happen. He stirs the mole sauce, keeping his eyes firmly on the bubbling contents of the pan.

He feels a presence next to him a moment later, close and warm, and the cutting board with the perfectly sliced chicken is set on the counter next to him. "That smells amazing," Dean says, closer to his ear than he should be.

"Thank you." He starts heating a pan for the chicken. Dean hums, drifting away after a moment. His scent lingers, infused in the chicken and in the air around him. It's only as he's dropping strips into the pan that he realizes Dean isn't wearing blockers anymore. He turns his head to sniff in Dean's direction just to make sure, and there it is. Delicious and so fragrant it's a shock that he hadn't noticed. He would ask Dean about the change if it weren't such an invasive question, but it makes him wonder. Does Dean frequently go without them? He certainly isn't going to complain. It's a lovely scent, after all.

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/VLYQHyX)

 

"You've been spending a lot of time over at Anna's house lately." Charlie takes a bite of her sandwich, side-eyeing him.

"We're tutoring each other. I'm actually getting A's in English."

"That's impressive," Charlie deadpans. She's still eyeing him.

Dean sets his burger down. "Okay, you obviously want to say something. Spit it out."

"Are you trying to get in Novak's pants?"

Dean sputters, grateful he didn't have food in his mouth at the time because it would have sprayed all over the table. "Excuse me?"

"My my, is Dean trying to pull our lovely Madam President?" Max asks as he takes his seat across from them. Alicia slides in next to him with a roll of her eyes.

"Like he has to try."

"Not the Novak I'm talking about. She would love that," Charlie agrees with Alicia.

Dean glares at her. "Line. Crossed."

"What, like I'm wrong? You know Anna likes you. She's liked you for a long time."

"That is not what I was talking about."

"Was I wrong about that, either? Anna was just telling me yesterday how happy she was that you get along with her dad."

"What's this about Anna's dad?" Max asks, perking up with a raised brow at Dean.

Dean sinks further into the bench, dropping his eyes to his sad tray and the sad half-eaten burger. "Nothing," he mumbles.

"Lying."

When Dean glances up to check Max's reaction, he's met with a knowing smirk. It's too much to have them both after him. He slaps his hands on the table. "Fine! I think her dad's hot. Sue me. He's like fucking walking sex, okay? And he's funny. And he smells so fucking good. Do you have any idea how good he smells, Charlie?"

"Ew, no thank you. Yeah, Novak's nice to look at, but gross, dude."

"I want to know how good he smells," Max says.

"Isn't her dad like 40?" Alicia asks, elbowing her twin.

"What does that matter? Salt and peppers are hot, and they know how to fuck."

Dean's not 100% on board with Max's assessment, but it doesn't stop him from nodding along. "You haven't seen her dad. He's like Dave Navarro without the guitar. Or the facial hair."

Max hums his approval, while Alicia cuts her apple into slices with judgey eyes.

"I gotta meet this guy." Dean narrows his eyes, and Max laughs. "Or not. Not even fucking the guy and you're already possessive. I see how it is. He must smell pretty good, then." He takes a bite of his burger. "Novak interested?"

"I think so? He's kind of hard to read."

"Who's hard to read?" Comes Jo's voice from behind them, followed by Jo herself sitting on the other side of Dean. Mick flops down next to Alicia at the same moment, and then Victor, and Dean starts to panic that his entire friends group is going to find out he's hot for their friend's dad.

Charlie must notice his alarm bells because she waves her hand at the table. "One of the judges at last week's competition, boring stuff. Alicia, where did you get that necklace?"

Max smirks at her obvious attempt at diversion, but goes along with the lie. "Asshole said Leia's engineering notes weren't complete. We would have won the design award."

Dean will be forever grateful, even if he knows Max is going to give him shit for this for weeks.

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/PtaZWst)

 

Weekends are supposed to be sacred. Homework is relegated to Sunday afternoon—because fuck Sunday afternoons—work is only supposed to be of the fun variety. It isn't supposed to be forgetting to eat lunch and living off coffee, holed up in an office without access to sunlight or human contact. And yet, this apparently is what Anna's dad has decided to make of his Saturday. And Dean isn't having it. Anna may not care that her dad hasn't eaten breakfast or lunch, but that's not stopping him from taking a plate up to the office. If he happens to be wearing a shirt that's two years past fitting him, that's his secret. He can hear the music as soon as he reaches the top step, some hard metal he doesn't recognize. The antelope's flower crown has been replaced by a crown of fall leaves and twigs tipped in gold glitter. He knocks on the door this time, not as worried about his reception now that he isn't lying about why he's there.

"Yes?" The slightly annoyed voice still manages to slide down his spine like warm honey.

He balances the plate on one hand and opens the door with the other. "Hey, Mr. Novak. I made lunch for me and Anna, and she said you haven't come down for food yet today, so I thought I'd bring it to you."

The room is messier than the last peek he got of it. Papers are strewn all over the floor in uneven stacks set out in an order Dean can't fathom. Mr. Novak is sitting at a giant ancient-looking oak desk, hunched over a keyboard. He isn't wearing a shirt again, and the low-slung pajamas pants give Dean a good view of just how far down the gorgeous black wings go on his back. Dean can't take his eyes off the expanse of them or the intricate lines of text trailing down his side in a language Dean doesn't recognize. Mr. Novak looks at Dean as though he forgot other humans were a thing, but only for the instant before he notices just how fitted Dean's t-shirt is. "Hello, Dean," he says, voice a hair deeper.

Dean makes his way over to the desk in a circuitous route that avoids all the stacks and sets the plate in front of him, pushing the keyboard out of the way. "You hungry?" he asks.

"I…" His eyes are focused on Dean's chest. The growl of a stomach is answer enough to the question, and Novak meets his eyes with a sheepish look. "I may have forgone food for the sake of the manuscript."

"That's not a good strategy. My mom's always saying you do your best work on a full stomach, and she's right. You gotta fuel that brain if you want it to work right."

Novak looks at the plate heaped with a pile of potato chips and the turkey club Dean had made with all the trimmings. "That is… a lot of food."

"I know, right? Anna said I went overboard, but if you missed breakfast, I'm guessing you're pretty hungry by now."

Novak nods, reaching for the sandwich hesitantly. Dean cut it in half, but it's still going to be a mouthful. He should probably leave him to it, but a tiny part of his wolf brain wants to bask in taking care of the alpha he's after, and he's not really interested in examining the instinct closely. He leans his butt against the edge of the desk and grins as Novak's eyes shutter at the first bite. He lets himself preen a little, pleased to have pleased his potential alpha.

"This is truly excellent, and I don't even think that's the hunger talking. Thank you, Dean."

"No problem. I'm glad you like it." He looks around the room again, taking in all the papers on the floor. Now that he's looking, each stack has a line of colored tabs on the top page that looks like it might be some kind of code. "So what is all this?"

"My manuscript, marked up by my editor. This is my second draft, and hopefully the last. Every stack is a chapter. I'm trying to stay organized. The colored tabs represent the major changes I need to make."

"Sounds like a headache to me."

Novak nods, frowning down at the sandwich. "Believe me, it is. But this helps."

Dean hums his pleasure, leaning down to pick up a chapter. "What's it about?" He skims the first page, covered in red pen marks and comments. It doesn't look like his editor holds back.

"It's about a young woman who has been followed by cats her entire life, only to find out that the cats aren't following her, but the thing that follows her. It's part of a monster series I've been working on for a few years." His voice is slight muffled by the food.

Dean stares at the page. He should have guessed it would be horror, but as his eyes scan the page, something about it is… familiar. He looks up and scans the room, narrowing in on a set of hardcovers stacked on the windowsill. "Hold up. Are you Jimmy Milton?"

Novak nods, cheeks bulging with food. He makes a big effort to chew the mouthful down for speech. "Didn't Anna tell you I write under a pseudonym?"

"Anna doesn't talk about your work much. Dude, I've read a bunch of your books. You're my uncle's favorite author."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I mean, he hasn't said so, but he's got all of your books. And I'm pretty sure he's ready them all a couple of times, so…"

"I'm glad to hear it." They share a smile, and Dean snags one of his chips. He doesn't miss how Novak's eyes go to his lips.

"I should probably let you get back to work. Will you let me read it when you're done?"

"Of course, if you like. Thank you for lunch. This is the best sandwich I've had in a long while."

Dean grins at the praise and dips down to drop the stack of papers he now knows is chapter 23 back where he found it. "Not a problem. Are we going to have to drag you down for dinner?"

"Are you staying for dinner?"

"Yeah, Anna's got me binging Black Mirror. Makes me want to chuck my phone out the window, but it's awesome."

"I'll have to watch an episode with you both later, then. I promise I'll be finished by dinnertime. And I'm cooking, so don't even try."

Dean pretends to pout, but he's already become addicted to Novak's food. "Yes, sir. I'll see you at dinner, then." He makes his way across the room again and flashes a smile over his shoulder before slipping out of the room. He leans against the door once it's shut, squeezing his eyes closed. Fuck. He wants on that man's cock more than anything, but he's also starting to really… like the guy. In a clothes-on sort of way. He is so screwed.

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/PtaZWst)

 

The decorating fairy has hit the Novak house when Dean enters it the first week of October. There are boxes _everywhere_ , half-full of bats and black muslin and more creepy dolls than Dean is comfortable knowing exist in the world. The doorbell has even changed sounds, from its usual DING-DONG to the theme of Tales from the Crypt. It's fascinating. Dean doesn't know where to look first when he steps inside.

"So, Dad turned in his manuscript, and he's now on Halloween full-force. Normally, he would have started three weeks ago, so he's trying to make up for lost time. Please don't judge us," Anna tells him as they step over boxes to get to the living room where they usually study.

"Does he need help?"

"Believe me, do not offer. You will never find your way out of the spider webs."

There are more dolls in the living room. The entire back wall of the room is lined with them. They are all dirty-looking and creepy as fuck. "Uh… what's with all the dolls?"

"Dad likes to creep people out more than scare them with the blood and gore stuff. He also has three life-sized clowns he likes to hide around the house. It's…" She shudders like something crawled up her back.

Dean doesn't want to know where the clowns are, but he does want to bring Sammy over and have him wander around for a bit until he finds one. "Clowns?"

"Yeah, clowns. They used to scare the shit out of me as a kid."

Dean doesn't know what to say. All they've ever done at his house for Halloween was put a few plastic graves on the front yard, and that was only because Sammy begged. It never occurred to him to go all-out for something before. It makes him curious. But they need to study first. "On that cheery note, how's Coulomb's law working for you?"

Anna makes a pained face. "I was really hoping we'd do English and just forget physics exists. Every time professor Baum talks, it's like he took a fork to my brain and scrambled it around a little."

Dean laughs and pulls out his physics book. Anna follows suit.

Later, when his head is swimming with iambic pentameter, Dean announces that he needs a break and gets up to stretch. He hasn't seen Mr. Novak yet today, either, though he has heard a crash or two from somewhere further in the house. He decides to investigate while Anna goes to get them snacks.

He hears rustling near the dining room, but when he walks in, all he sees is more boxes and black muslin. A quiet curse alerts him to the very corner of the room. Hidden behind a wall of plastic bins, Mr. Novak crouches by a tangle of purple string lights two feet wide. He's wearing an old band shirt that's more holes than t-shirt, and it looks unfairly good on him.

"Hey, you need help?" Dean asks, approaching with caution. When Novak looks up, a little of the annoyance leaves his face and his eyes warm up considerably.

"Hello, Dean. I didn't realize you were here today."

"Yeah, we've been studying in the living room, but I had to get out of there. Those dolls are a little much."

A smile creeps onto his lips. "They are my favorite. I can understand that they might be a little much when you are trying to study, though."

"Yeah. I'm not convinced I'm not going to wake up with one sitting on my chest tonight. Want help with the lights?" Dean crouches down next to him and picks up a tangled strand.

"If you like. I can't promise you won't hear colorful language from me in the process."

Dean winks at him. "I like colorful language."

They work together well, helping each other navigate the tangled chords until the first strand is entire tangle-free and ready to hang.

"I told you not to volunteer," Anna says from behind them, startling them both from their work. Anna leans against the door jam, arms crossed, shaking her head with a smile.

"I can't talk about rhyming schemes anymore. They're hurting my brain."

"And calculating electron mass is so easy to figure out. Come on. You've been on 'break' for like half an hour. I thought you wandered outside and drown in the pool." She uses finger quotations, something Dean knows she picked up from her dad. It's infuriatingly adorable no matter which of them is doing it.

He makes a face, groaning under his breath. "Fine, I'll be there as soon as we're done hanging these lights."

"Go now. I can handle this by myself. Thank you for your help, though. There would have been considerably more cursing without you."

"Of course, sir. Any time you need help, you just let me know," he says as Anna begins to tug him out of the room. "Really, any time," he reiterates just before a chuckling Mr. Novak disappears behind the door jam.

"Are you honestly telling me untangling lights with my dad is more interesting than Shakespeare?" Anna chides him, poking him in the ribs. He shrugs, glancing back down the hall as they walk back to the living room.

"My family doesn't do Halloween decorating much. This stuff is interesting."

Anna looks skeptical at best. "I don't believe you, but okay. You can help him configure his doll collection later. We have Twelfth Night to tackle."

Dean follows her with a groan. "Hurray."

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/PtaZWst)

 

It was a terrible idea to allow Anna to invite her friends to the party. Not that he didn't love Charlie and Gilda. But having Dean at a party where he could freely walk around dressed like a literal god was perhaps more than his fragile self-control could handle. The entire group had come as comic book characters—Charlie and Dean's idea according to Anna, currently dressed in a black cat suit he is less than comfortable seeing his teenage daughter in. She told him earlier that she was going as Black Widow. Castiel only had a vague idea of who that was, though he did recognize Charlie as Captain America. And of course Dean. As Thor. Castiel had taken one look at Dean's sculpted arms and bowed legs in tight leather and had had to leave the room before the scent of his arousal became obvious to others.

He had gone to find Meg to distract himself. She was setting up her equipment in the backyard, testing the microphones. "I need to speak to you," he'd told her in a rush, grabbing her by the upper arm and pulling her around the side of the house. Meg went with a raised eyebrow, not objecting to being manhandled onto the  recycling bin and kissed, hard.

"What's got you all riled up, Clarence? The party's barely started," she says when they pull away, licking her lips.

"I couldn't resist you in that outfit," he lies, running his hands over the silk of the her stockings. She had opted for zombie lingerie model. It wasn't an unbelievable lie. Meg shifts to the edge of the bin, humming her pleasure.

"You wanna see what's under it, Alpha?" She shifts the fabric of her panties over, revealing creamy pale skin as she spreads her thighs wider for him. He slides between them, biting and kissing a line up her throat as one hand drifts south. All he wants is to sink his teeth into something soft and pliant, but the neck he wants isn't under his mouth now, and Meg would sooner punch him in the face than let him bite her.

She does let him rub her clit until she comes, soft whine in his ear enough to satisfy his urges, if briefly. She lifts his hand to her mouth and sucks her slick from his fingers, smirking at him over the filthy gesture. "You want me to get behind this bin and suck you off?" She emphasises the question with a stroke of his leather pants, but he gently pushes her away.

"Go finish setting up. I'll fuck you after your set."

"Promise?" She squeezes his erection through his pants, leaning over to lick a line up his cheek. It turns into a quick, dirty kiss before she pushes him away and hops off the bin, adjusting her now visibly soaked panties as she does. He wonders absently if she plans to change them before her set, but doubts she will. Exhibitionism has always been her favorite kink.

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/PtaZWst)

 

Later, when Meg is busy playing with the band, and Castiel has given a tour of the house to those who wanted one (and managed to scare at least three people with his Gacy clown), he spots Dean standing in the doorway to the backyard, watching the dancers and the band with a little smile. Even though he knows he should, Castiel can't resist his orbit. As he approaches Dean, he spots his daughter dancing with Charlie and Gilda on the back lawn, all of them flailing about like they've maybe snuck a drink or three past him. He should probably be more worried about it than he is, but he catches a hint of sugar sweet pecan pie and loses interest in everything else. Dean isn't wearing his blockers. And he looks so good in thick leather armor, his arms somehow more toned in comparison. "Shouldn't you be dancing with your friends?" Cas asks, leaning into his shoulder to be heard over the sound of Meg screaming into the microphone.

Dean turns, eyes lighting up as they meet Castiel's. "I'm not into dancing much. Told them one of us had to keep our dignity."

"I have a feeling you're a much better dancer than you give yourself credit for."

"Oh yeah? You'd lose that bet." Dean leans his shoulder into Cas' chest, far too close. If they weren't surrounded on all sides by walls of Castiel's friends, he might lean in more and take that sinful mouth for his own. Instead, he takes Dean's elbow.

"If you aren't going to dance, let me introduce you to a few people I think you will be very happy to know."

"Oh? Like who?" Dean asks as he follows without protest.

Castiel leads him through the back of the house to the den, where copious amounts of herbal substances are currently being consumed. He shouldn't be doing this. He won't be able to leave Dean's side the entire time he's in the room, if only to assure himself the boy doesn't partake in the party favors, but he had already decided he would introduce Dean to Ash when Anna asked to invite her friends to the party. He spots the mullet in question exactly where he expected to find him, a PBR in one hand, the hose of the hookah in the other.

Castiel pauses before directing Dean to find a seat to turn to him. "Under no circumstances are you permitted to smoke, drink, or swallow anything Ash or anyone else in this room might give you. I will not be responsible for the corruption of a minor under my roof."

Dean smirks, eyes glittering with mischief. "But I love swallowing, Mr. Novak."

"Dean."

Dean bows his head in concession. "Whatever you say, sir." Castiel doesn't miss the pure sex in his words. He has to conjure pictures of his mother riding the mailman to keep his interest from showing. He directs Dean to a seat near Ash, who grins at them with a floaty, glassy-eyed look that tells Castiel he's already quite a few beers in.

"Cassie Novak, I was wonderin' if I'd see you tonight. Great party, as always. Love the favors." He holds up the hookah and takes a hit from it, blowing perfect smoke rings over his head when he's finished holding it in.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, Ash. I wanted to introduce you to a friend of Anna's. I think the two of you will have quite a bit to talk about." He turns to Dean, who is so close that his thigh is pressed into Castiel's, distracting him momentarily. "Dean, this is my friend Ash. He works as an aeronautics engineer for NASA. He worked on the Mars Rover."

Dean stares at Ash like he's an alien for a long moment before bursting out with the widest grin. "Holy shit! I've been following the mission since it was announced. Are you Ash Lindberg?"

Ash eyes Dean, then eyes Cas. "Did you bring me a fanboy?"

"I brought you the captain of the robotics team at Lawrence High. You've won how many international competitions, Dean?"

"Three, so far. We're hoping to keep the streak going this year, too. But that's nothing compared to what you've done," he tells Ash, leaning even closer so that he is practically in Castiel's lap to talk to Ash.

Ash shrugs, taking another toke off the hookah. "All in a day's work, my man. You coming to work for me when you're out?"

Dean rubs the back of his neck, shaking his head a little. "Nah. I mean, if you offered me a job out of school, I'd take it in a second, but I want to work with AI."

Ash groans. "Fuck AI, man. Gonna take us out if we're not careful."

"What? That is… That's ridiculous. Do you know how much good AI could do for the world? Transportation, public safety, long-term space flight?"

"Yeah, and then one of those public safety officers gets it in his artificial head that humans are getting in the way of achieving maximum efficiency and starts murdering people. No thank you."

The ensuing argument is fascinating, but mostly over Castiel's head. He enjoys watching Dean argue his case with competence and a level of passion Castiel hasn't witnessed from him yet. He's infinitely lovelier this way, alert and smarter than any teenager has a right to be.

Castiel is soon aware that not only has Dean pressed infinitely closer in his enthusiasm, but that his touch is effecting Castiel's ability to keep his libido in check. He decides a brief exit may be necessary and extracts himself from the two of them. "I am going to get something to drink. Can I get either of you anything?"

Ash holds up his beer, still talking about how many fail-safes would be necessary to protect satellite control from a determined AI. "I'll have whatever you're having," Dean tells him, breaking concentration long enough to eye Cas up and down.

Castiel pretends not to notice and heads off to the kitchen, intending to hurry if only to ensure that Dean is not given anything in his absence. He is in the middle of making himself a drink he will not be giving Dean even a taste of when Anna walks up behind him. "Hey Dad, have you seen Dean? We were thinking about playing with the Ouija board."

"He's arguing about Artificial Intelligence in the den with Ash, and no you are not. The last thing this house needs is ghosts. Or worse, you could wake one of the demons that lives in my dolls." He pours the green liquid over the tray of sugar cubes and brings the concoction to his mouth, pleased that the flavor is what he wanted.

Anna snorts at the comment. "You introduced him to Ash? We're never getting him back now." She wrinkles her nose in annoyance, then blows a stray lock of hair out of her eyes. "Fine, more dancing it is. Thanks, Dad." She gets on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek and wanders towards the drink cooler. He gives her a hard stare when she goes for a wine cooler and waits until she chooses sprite instead before heading back to the den.

Dean and Ash are still talking when he slips back into his seat. He hands Ash his beer and Dean the sparkling water he got him. Dean takes one look at it, then at the drink in Castiel's hand, and frowns. "What's that?"

"Absinthe, and no you cannot have any."

Dean pouts, but then Ash says something about underground bunkers, and he's back in the argument. If he leaves a hand on Castiel's knee to steady himself, Castiel isn't going to tell him to move it. He is probably going to hell for lusting after a teenager. At least he can enjoy a few perks beforehand.

Much later, Ash is passed out with a bottle still in his hand. Dean is close, very close, sugary scent filling Castiel's senses until all he can think about is the gorgeous omega slumbering on his shoulder. He should push Dean off, usher him upstairs to a spare room and tuck him into bed, but Castiel isn't sure he wouldn't crawl in with him if he did that. The strong alcohol swirling through his system doesn't help the decision-making process any. He feels eyes on him and looks up to see Cain watching him from across the room, a knowing look on his face. They are effectively alone, with all the other occupants of the room passed out or… otherwise occupied.

"Are you planning to fuck that boy?" Cain asks as he lifts a drink to his lips.

Castiel frowns, taking far too long to process the question. "He's Anna's friend."

"He's also stunning, and very interested in your attention. The feeling looks mutual from where I'm sitting."

"He's seventeen."

"A year over the legal age in this state, isn't it?"

"How do you know what the legal age of consent in Kansas is? You live in Missouri."

"I have many and varied interests, Castiel. You are avoiding the question. I can't imagine you'd allow that boy to sleep on your shoulder like that if you weren't interested in finding out what his slick tastes like."

"I'm not going to."

"Why not? He is obviously very willing."

"It's wrong. What would it look like for me to sleep with my daughter's friend? What would Anna think? I could never do that to her. She likes the boy. I can't be in direct competition with her over a boy's affections. No matter what my own personal feelings are."

Cain continues to stare at him for far longer than Castiel is comfortable with. Then, he tilts his head to the side, eyes sliding to Dean. "Do you mind if I try, then? I haven't had one that young in a long time, and he is... delicious."

A growl rumbles through him before he can stop it, his lips pulled back in a teeth-baring snarl, a display he has never shown another human before. It unsettles him how quickly he reacted negatively to a challenge.

Cain grins like the predator he is and leans over in the high-backed chair he's seated in. "Well, well, look at that. Castiel has a killer instinct after all. And for such a luscious little thing at that. Very impressive."

Castiel glares, but he can't argue. No matter how much he would like to, he can't deny his interest in Dean. Which is precisely why he needs to curb the interest now, cut as much contact as he can. He turns to Dean, drooling on his shoulder without a care in the world. "Dean," he says, gentle at first, then louder as Dean fails to stir. He shakes the boy awake, Dean finally yawning big and stretching his back.

He blinks up at Castiel, eyes still drowsy with sleep. "Hmm?"

"Come along. It's time we find you a bed." He won't have him drive in this state, but he also doesn't want to stay in proximity to him. Cain chuckles behind his back, and Castiel hears him murmur, "Yours preferably," but ignores him. He gets Dean up and moving towards the front hall.

"Where are we going?" Dean groans, leaning heavily on Castiel as they head towards the stairs.

"We're finding you a bed."

"Oh? You coming with me, Alpha?" He nuzzles into Castiel's neck, mouthing his skin as he slides an arm around Castiel's waist.

Castiel tries to gently push him off. "No, Dean. It's time to sleep."

Dean whines, resisting Castiel pushing him away, clearly without full knowledge of his actions. "But I want to sleep with you, Alpha," he says.

Castiel manages to get him up the stairs and to Anna's bedroom door. He opens it to find Charlie sleeping on the air mattress, while Gilda and Anna sleep in Anna's bed.  It pleases him to see, even as he deposits Dean on the air mattress next to Charlie and makes attempts to tuck him in. He had told the girls he was only comfortable with them sleeping in the same room if they did not sleep in the same bed. He's pleased they listened. Charlie makes an annoyed sound when Dean flops down on her mattress, but does not wake up.

Dean grabs hold of his hand as he tries to stand, peering up at him. "Please, Alpha. Wanna sleep with you."

"No, sweetheart. Go to sleep. There will be pancakes in the morning." He kisses Dean's forehead, unable to help himself. Dean makes a content noise, fingers clenching in Castiel's shirt before slumping against his pillow, dead to the world once more.

Castiel kneels on the floor next to the mattress for a long time, watching Dean's peaceful expression. The streaks of red paint have smeared on his cheek, and his costume looks incredibly uncomfortable to sleep in, but despite that, he is still breathtaking to look at. Irresistible, almost.

The thought forces him onto his feet and out of the room. His infatuation is becoming dangerous, even if it is apparently reciprocated. It is one thing to lust after a pretty young omega. It is entirely another to give into that lust. He can't let that happen. He will have to find a way to ask Anna to have Dean over less frequently, see if she could spend more time at his home.

The thought is derailed as he enters his bedroom to find Meg sprawled out on his bed, face buried between the legs of his publicist. Bela looks up at the sounds of the door opening and licks her lips with a wicked smile at him. "Finally come to join us, Castiel?" She twists under Meg's tongue, eyes fluttering shut for a brief moment before focusing back on him again. Meg pulls away long enough to look behind her with an equally wicked smile.

"We've been waiting for you," she tells him, raising up onto her knees to present to him. The room already smells a heady cocktail of sweat and sex. He wonders how long they've been at it without him, but only for the brief time it takes him to undress and make it to the bed. He has never needed a distraction more, and two beautiful betas in his bed are just that. He forces himself to put Dean out of his head as Bela pulls him over Meg's back to lick into his mouth.

It almost works.

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/PtaZWst)

 

It's a little weird feeling hung over when he didn't manage to sneak more than two beers, and yet here he is. He keeps his eyes closed, trying to figure out where he is. He remembers waking up on Mr. Novak's shoulder, his warm woodsy scent filling Dean's senses until he felt drunk on them. He hadn't been able to resist burying his nose in Novak's neck as the Alpha walked Dean upstairs. He'd tasted his skin. Said... things. Oh God, the things he'd said.

Dean rolls onto his side, grabbing at his hair as he groans in anguish. He'd all but asked Mr. Novak to fuck him last night. God, he'd practically asked him for a mate mark. He groans again and hides his face in his pillow.

"Same," Charlie croaks, twisting around on the mattress next to him. Dean opens an eye to peer at her. Mr. Novak had put him to bed next to Charlie, where he'd agreed to sleep when it was suggested they all stay the night. Not Novak's bed. Of course not. Because his real lover is in his bed, probably. Meg, the singer in the band with the black silk lingerie and the gorgeous hair. Meg, whom Novak hadn't spent the entire party with because he'd been tucked up right next to Dean, listening to Dean talk AI and astrophysics with one of his NASA idols. Dean had loved the entire night, happy to get to spend so much uninterrupted time with Mr. Novak—Cas, as Ash had called him. Dean had almost been bold enough to use the name himself, but he likes the little twitch at the edge of Novak's eye when Dean calls him Mr. Novak in the most suggestive voice he can manage.

Dean eventually works his way out of his own head and rolls off the mattress to go find coffee, breakfast, and probably his phone so he can update his mom. Charlie groans in protest of being jostled, but doesn't get up. Anna's bed is just Anna, a Gilda-shaped indent in the sheets next to her, but no Gilda. Dean stumbles smack into a closed bathroom door, eyes barely open. The sound of the shower clues him in that Gilda's probably in there.

He groans and grabs his bag, deciding to change out of the uncomfortable fake leather armor of his costume while he's emptying the tank. He wanders downstairs to an unoccupied bathroom and cleans himself up. The streaks of red make-up on his face have smeared until half his face is a red blur. Not a good look.

Once changed, he heads in the direction of the kitchen, surprised to find the house in less chaos than he would have expected, given the magnitude of the party. "Old people," he mutters to himself, shuffling towards the kitchen and the smell of coffee and bacon. There's a lone figure standing at the stove, an alpha Dean vaguely remembers being introduced to at one point the night before. Carter, maybe? He's wearing an apron, standing over the stove flipping pancakes on a cast iron griddle. When he looks up to see Dean standing in the doorway, his smile is practically feral. His eyes drag down Dean's body, making Dean self-conscious enough to tug his t-shirt down a little.

"Hey," he says, stepping into the room and making a bee-line for the coffee maker.

"Good morning." That voice. Jesus. Almost as hypnotizing as Novak's. Dean pauses in pouring himself a cup of coffee to process it.

"Cain, right?" he asks turning around to smile at the guy. He's met with the eyes of a predator, but he isn't sure he minds being the prey.

"Indeed. And you're the famous Dean, who's been spending so much time with little Anna."

"Little? She's seventeen."

Cain picks up a piece of bacon from the paper towel it was cooling on and crunches into it, shrugging. "I changed that girl's diapers. She'll always be little Anna to me. You, on the other hand. You aren't little at all, are you?"

Dean flushes, surprised at the forward tone of the question more than the question itself. He takes a seat at the kitchen island and nurses his coffee, not sure how to answer that one. "Thanks for making the coffee," he says instead, just as Mr. Novak shuffles into the kitchen, bleary-eyed and clearly not very conscious. He goes straight to the coffee, as Dean had, barely looking up at the two of them. As soon as his eyes fall on Dean, the dart away, as if looking at Dean is the equivalent of watching a solar eclipse.

"But of course." Cain bows his head in acknowledgment. "Good morning, Castiel. Sleep well?" he says, eyes not leaving Dean's face. Castiel mumbles something, but doesn't look at them as he goes to the refrigerator for creamer and returns to his mug.

Something sizzles on the griddle, and Cain turns his attention back to cooking with a small smirk at the corner of his lips.  Dean watches him, curious. Dean doesn't remember what Mr. Novak said he did for a living, but he looks well-built, sturdy in the kind of way that makes Dean think the guy could pick him up without breaking a sweat. His hair is long and a salt and pepper gray that's sexier than Dean should probably think it is. He currently has it pulled up in a bun on the top of his head, stragglers falling into his face. Dean's never found a beard sexy before, but yeah. It works.

He's caught staring, that same feral smile creeping up on Cain's mouth. He holds a piece of bacon out across the counter top to Dean. "Hungry?"

Dean reaches for the slice, then thinks better of it with a quick dart of his eyes to Novak fumbling with the coffee machine, and takes the offering with his teeth. Cain's eyes darken and a faint trace of alpha arousal permeates the air. "Thanks," Dean says, crunching into the bacon with relish and washing it down with a sip of coffee.

Novak turns around to stare at them as the arousal hits the air, eyes flicking from Dean's face to Cain's self-satisfied smile. "What's going on, here?" he says, much more alert than he had been.

"Breakfast. Would you like some?" Cain asks, holding out the plate piled high with bacon and greasy paper towels.

Novak glares Cain down, not even acknowledging the plate. Dean can smell the aggression coming off him. It's a little fascinating to watch, given that Novak still hasn't looked Dean in the eye. They are still staring each other down when Gilda wanders in, hair wet from her shower. She pauses in the doorway, assessing the scene, only taking a tentative step in. Novak pulls his eyes away from Cain to smile at her, demeanor taking a 180.

"Good morning, Gilda. Would you like some breakfast? Cain was just making pancakes for us." He takes the plate of bacon from Cain and drops it on the breakfast bar at Dean's elbow, shooting a dark glance at Cain over Dean's shoulder before stepping away.

Gilda walks in and takes a seat next to Dean, giving him a look of confusion. He shakes his head at her and nudges the plate closer, taking a strip himself and crunching on it.

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/PtaZWst)

 

When Charlie walked into the house, Dean couldn't even see her head over the mound of ballot boxes stacked in her arms. She looked like one of the mice from Cinderella trying to keep them all stacked. He grabbed several of them from her and lead her into the kitchen, where he hoped to have minimal interruption from his cooking-challenged family.

"So, I have a print-out of the online vote, and you're not going to like it. At all," Charlie informs him as she deposits her boxes on the table and sets her back down in a chair. She pulls out a paper and hands it to Dean. The smug look on her face tells him she likes it, which can only mean one thing.

Dean immediately curses under his breath. "Fuckin' Harry Potter..."

Charlie is grinning wickedly at him when he looks up. "We could dress you up like Cedric Diggory if you want."

"I'm not wearing a fucking robe, Charlie. Let's get these paper ballots tallied, and hopefully I won't have to." He grabs the first box and dumps the contents on the table, officially on a mission.

The ballots are spread out on the kitchen table like a mountain of indecipherable origami. They've started stacking them in three piles that represent the votes, Dean calling out each vote and Charlie writing it down. The Yule Ball stack is suspiciously high.

"So, was I drunk on Halloween or did Mr. Novak tuck you into bed and kiss your forehead at 3:00 in the morning?" Charlie asks.

Dean pauses in placing a ballot on a stack. "You were awake for that?"

"I woke up when you stumbled into the room like the uncoordinated elephant you are. I heard what you said to him."

Dean groans, face-palming. "Don't remind me. I was really tired. I think I fell asleep on him at one point while I was talking to him and Ash Lindberg—I told you he introduced me to Ash Lindberg, right?"

"Yes. Four times."

"Like you wouldn't be excited if you met Bill Gates."

"Maybe Alexandra Elbakyan. Back to the topic at hand, though. You were up with Mr. Novak until 3:00am."

"Yeah, I was. Sort of. And?"

"And... what were you doing with him until the wee hours of the morning?"

"I was talking to Ash while he listened to us. I didn't expect him to stay, honestly, but he seemed really interested to listen to us."

Charlie raises an eyebrow at him as her only comment.

"So, I maybe almost sat in his lap the whole time and got my scent all over him. He didn't seem to mind."

"Obviously not. Gilda said she walked in on some kind of Alpha challenge in the kitchen the next morning. That you were in the middle of."

"It wasn't..." he tries to deny, but Charlie stares him down until he caves. "Fine, so this Cain guy started flirting with me, and Novak comes in and wasn't happy. It was kind of hot."

Charlie sets the paper stack of ballots she was counting down and turns in her chair to look at him dead-on. "Is this really a good idea?"

"The Yule Ball? Definitely not."

Charlie narrows her eyes at him and waits for him to answer her actual question. He looks down at the ballots. "I can't help it, Charlie. I feel like a paper clip when he's around and he's a super-strong magnet. I just… gravitate. He smells so good, and he's gorgeous. And he's really nice and kind and funny. And he… gets me. He's not intimidated by an omega being really good at robotics or knowing more about science and technology than he does.He asks me questions about my work and my plans for the future. He introduced me to one of my heroes and let me fanboy all over him for hours, and I could tell he had no idea what we were talking about half the time, but he listened patiently the whole time. I've never met an alpha who didn't try to dumb me down."

"Dean, just because your dad's idea of omegas is fucked up—"

"It's not just my dad. It's every alpha. But that isn't even the point. I like Novak. As a person. Don't get me wrong, I want him to wreck me, but it's not just that. He makes all the butterflies go off in my stomach."

Charlie's hard expression softens, and she sighs. "Just be careful. I don't want you to get hurt because you flew too close to the sun."

"I'm trying."

"Good. Now lets finish this so I can do the victory dance I've been practicing since August." She grabs another stack of ballots with glee and gets back to counting. Dean glares, but does the same.

In the end, Yule Ball got a total of 217 votes, blowing the other two out of the water. Dean has never been so disappointed with a vote count in his life. "I'm killing the entire student body," he declares as Charlie whoops and does the most ridiculous impression of The Robot that Dean's ever seen.

Sam walks in in the middle of it, utterly confused, and Charlie grabs his hands and twirls him around a bit. "Grab your wand, Sam-ich! We're going to the Yule Ball!" she declares.

Sam, still clearly befuddled, goes along with the dance until John walks in to stare them all down. "What's going on in here?"

Charlie grins at him, still dancing like an idiot, though she has sense enough to let Sam go. "The student body had the good sense to choose a Harry Potter theme for prom, and I'm celebrating!" she declares, dancing around him. He rolls his eyes and turns his back on them to dig through the fridge, muttering about wizards and hyperactive teenagers. Charlie finally settles and re-takes her seat, still grinning at Dean like an idiot.

"I'm not wearing robes," he repeats, glaring.

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/PtaZWst)

 

Novak looks even better than usual when he opens the front door, black jeans over motorcycle boots and a band t-shirt with the sleeves rolled up to highlight his tattoos. It even looks like his sex hair was done on purpose today. Dean has to hold back a whistle as he greets the man. "Hey, Mr. Novak. Looks like you've got a hot date tonight," he says, grinning. He isn't being subtle, but with the way Novak looks, who could blame him?

"I do, in fact. I'm going to see Meg's band play tonight at the Roadhouse," Novak tells him, ushering him into the house. He heads for the kitchen, and Dean follows because watching the way Novak's butt looks in his tight, tight jeans is an excuse all on its own. Novak grabs the beer he must have been drinking before answering the door and leans back against the kitchen island.

"Oh?" Dean leans against the counter next to him and pulls the M&Ms over to hide his unhappiness at this revelation. Knowing that Novak is dating Meg on a hypothetical basis and hearing about them going on actual dates are two very different things. "She play a lot of shows around here?"

"Some. She mostly works in New York and London, but we're both good friends with the owner of the Roadhouse."

Dean nods, popping an M&M in his mouth. He doesn't miss the way Novak's eyes keep wandering to his ass. "Mrs. Harvelle's badass."

"She is. Anna said you were friends with her daughter." He smiles, and it makes Dean feel tingly until Anna walks in with a brush in her hand and breaks the spell.

"Hey, I didn't hear you come in. I heard the news about the vote," she greets him, walking over to lean a hip on the other side of the counter.

"Vote?" Novak asks.

"Prom theme. We gave everyone a choice between Yule Ball, Candyland, and Under the Sea. They chose Dean's least favorite."

"Yule Ball. I'm never getting away from Harry Potter. I swear to God." Dean buries his head in his hands, still annoyed.

"You don't like Harry Potter?" Novak asks, a note of surprise.

And he's offically found a flaw. The guy likes Harry fucking Potter. "Hate it. Sammy read them when he was in like 4th grade and would. Not. Stop. Talking. About. Them. For a full year. I almost smothered him in his sleep so many times."

"I take it you've never read the series, then?"

"Hell no."

"That's too bad. Anna and I read them together. It was fun, wasn't it, sweetheart?" His tone turns fond, and Dean looks up to see Anna smiling at him.

"Dad used to do the voices. His Hagrid's not bad."

"I personally thought I did the Malfoys better."

Dean shifts from one leg to the other. "I might be willing to listen if there's accents involved."

Anna stares at him. "You went on a rant about Harry Potter at lunch the other day that lasted the entire lunch period."

"You both seem to like it, though. Maybe I misjudged." He gives her a wink, and she softens any disbelief immediately.

"We'll have to work fast then, before you change your mind."

The doorbell rings and Novak goes to answer it without commenting on the book reading. Anna slides closer to Dean until their elbows touch on the counter. "We could watch one of the movies tonight, if you wanted." There's a little more innuendo in her tone than Dean would expect for talking about a Harry Potter movie, but he can roll with it.

"You don't want to work on physics?"

"And miss a golden opportunity? Mmm, I think not." She leans in closer, and Dean thinks she might try to kiss him, but her dad comes back with Meg, who Dean has managed to avoid up until this point. She's pretty and as tattooed as Novak, maybe more if the ink up the backs of her legs visible under her very short, very tight leather skirt are an indication. She's wearing killer stiletto boots that lace up all the way to mid-thigh, but there are still two colorful demon faces visible on the fronts of her thighs.  Dean still hasn't seen Novak's lower-half.

"Hi, Meg," Anna says as she turns and hops up on the counter, her thigh close to Dean's elbow. When he turns around to face them, he catches Novak's eyes on his ass again and has to hide his smile.

"Hey," he says.

Meg sizes him up before smiling at Anna. "Hey, short-stack. Nice t-shirt." She looks almost pleasant when she smiles, but Dean still can't see what Novak sees in her.

"Thanks. You playing the Roadhouse tonight?"

"We are. I tried to talk you dad into letting you come, but school night and all," she shrugs, sending a smirk at Novak.

"Also alcohol and other… substances."

"It's like you don't want your daughter to have any fun," Meg teases, sliding right in Novak's personal space and wrapping her arms around him.

"You tried to sneak her shots all night the last time she came. No."

Meg rolls her eyes and lets go of him, walking over to the counter and leaning up on tip-toe to kiss Anna on the cheek. "I tried, cherry pie. I tried."

Anna laughs and pats her shoulder. "Thanks. I'm good staying home with Dean. We've got studying to do, don't we?"

Dean was distracted by Mr. Novak's eyes on him, but he's aware enough to nod. "Yeah, mid-terms are in a week."

"'Mid-terms', huh? That what they call it now? Come on, Clarence. Let's go 'study' for our 'mid-terms'." Meg turns, and Dean sees her eyes darken when she catches Novak watching Dean. She drags blood red nails down his forearm to get his attention, and he looks away sharply.

"Hmm? Right. Shall we go?" he asks, downing the last of his beer and throwing it in the recycling. He grabs a leather jacket from one of the stools at the breakfast bar and pulls it on. It makes him 100% hotter. Dean curses holding back on the blockers again, sure they'll be able to smell his interest. But only until Novak puts a hand at the small of Meg's back and pulls her in. "My phone's charged. You know what to do if there's an emergency," he tells Anna.

"Yeah, Dad, I'm not twelve. Go have fun. We'll be fine." She waves at them, even as she presses her thigh against Dean's side.

"There's condoms in the bathroom," Meg tells them over Cas' shoulder.

He whips around to glare them down. "Do not use them." He pauses, seeming to catch himself. "Keep your clothes on, is what I meant. I'm trusting you. Hands above waists at all times," he fumbles, eyes glued to Dean with a look of intensity that Dean thinks might be more jealousy than threat. He nods, not planning to do anything, even as his own jealousy roils through his belly. Novak's hand is almost on Meg's ass. It makes Dean want to sprint across the room and rip his hand away. He stays put. Meg drops her head back and laughs, her long curls brushing over the Latin on Novak's arm. Anna starts giggling at the same time, falling into Dean's shoulder as she tries to cover it with her mouth.

They leave with a slam of the door. Anna settles a moment later, but she doesn't move away, just looks down at Dean with a quiet question in her eyes. He knows she's expecting him to kiss her now. He's been resisting it for a couple months, those doe eyes and that little pout of the lips. But why? If Novak can fuck a rockstar, why can't he get off, too? He leans in and is immediately met with an open invitation. Anna curls a hand around his neck, pulling him closer as he twists on the counter to slide between her legs. It's nice, soft. A little fumbling, but Dean's had far worse.

He pulls away sucking on her bottom lip and raises an eyebrow at her. "I thought we were gonna watch Harry Potter?"

Anna wraps a leg around his waist, toying with button on his open flannel. "Actually, I was thinking we could go for a dip in the hot tub."

Dean was not expecting that. He pulls away a little more. "I didn't bring a suit."

"So?" Her eyes glitter with challenge, and for once it doesn't make him feel uncomfortable or guilty. He's got the message that her dad is not an option, no matter how much his eyes cloud over when Dean's near him. Why not go for his hot daughter?

"Okay."

"Great. You go raid the liquor cabinet and grab some glasses. I'll find some towels and turn the jets on."

"Booze, too? You rebel," he teases.

She smacks him on the chest and pecks his lips before jumping off the counter. "Just go, nerd."

Dean does as asked, taking his time over the bottles. His preference is whiskey, but he doubts Anna would agree. He ends up with a bottle of white wine and two glasses. By the time he gets out to the patio where the hot tub is, Anna's already out there in just her bra and panties, a stack of towels sitting on the patio table. He raises the bottle in question, still surprised she'd want to get drunk on a weekday.

"Dad's not coming home until at least three. Why not?"

Dean can't argue that. He pulls his t-shirt off and drops it on a chair, toeing his shoes off at the same time. The pants are next as he watches Anna step into the bubbling water, the white of her panties going see-through as soon as they get wet. Dean isn't convinced she didn't wear them for that reason. He's quick to follow, if only for the warmth, bringing the wine with him. "Shit, it's cold," he says as he sinks onto a seat. Anna grabs the bottle and takes a swig without bothering with a glass. She hands it back to him with a smirk. "You tryin' to get me drunk, Novak?" he says before taking a swig himself.

She shrugs. "I already got your pants off."

"Oh, it's like that, is it?" He slides off his seat and wades over to her, depositing the bottle behind her as he slides into her personal space. She wraps her hands around his shoulders and spreads her legs wide to leave him room.

"It definitely is."

Dean locks eyes with her lips, soft and plush just like… He pulls away again. "Whatever this is, it can't be serious. I'm planning to go away to college, and I don't plan to bring anything with me. You okay with that?"

She rolls her eyes. "Shut up and kiss me, you ass. I've been trying to get you naked since sophomore year."

Dean doesn't argue with that. Her kissers are better this time, more confident. Her skin is soft under his hands, slippery with her lotion washing away with the water. Her hands wander down his chest, tentative as they make their way south. When she cups his cock, it's like an electric shock goes through him, but not a good one. It feels wrong having her small, thin hands touching him. He wants the bigger, stronger hands he's been fantasizing about. Wants a knot filling him deep and locking inside him. He moves his hands down her body to distract her, trying to push thoughts of her father out of his head. He's supposed to be moving on.

She moans as he moves the panties aside, touching with sure fingers. He may prefer cock, but that doesn't mean he doesn't know his way around a clit. She grabs onto his shoulders, nails digging little crescents into his skin as she pulls her mouth from his to catch her breath.

"Oh fuck… Dean…" she rasps before pulling him close for another kiss. It doesn't take long. Dean has always enjoyed taking care of others, and he's learned to do it well. But even as she trembles in his arms, crying out his name between panting whines, he can't let himself enjoy giving her pleasure. It just feels wrong. So wrong.

When she's relaxed and smiling, sleepy-eyed and trailing her fingers through his hair, he pulls away from her, guilt roiling his stomach. "Thanks," she says, eyes opening enough to really look at him again.

He forces his most convincing smile. "That good, huh?"

She giggles and drops her head back against the side of the hot tub. "Better than I imagined it would be. You've got some talented fingers, my friend." She stretches a little, then looks at him again, assessing. "Want me to return the favor?"

Dean shifts back, shaking his head. "I'm good. We should uh.. You hungry?"

"Not for food," she says with heat in her gaze. She tries to move over to his side of the tub, but he stands up.

"I uh… I think I should go. We've got mid-terms, and I don't know if we're going to get any studying done tonight." He's lying. He already planned to spend the weekend studying with Charlie. But he has to get away before he lets anything else happen. He feels like the worst kind of scum now, and he really needs to leave. He climbs out and starts drying off as best he can, already deciding he'll just strip out of his boxers and go home commando.

Anna reaches for him from the hot tub. "No, don't go. What's wrong? You look spooked. My dad's not coming back until late, I promise."

"That's not…" He sighs, straightening with the towel around his waist. He feels like shit immediately. She looks concerned for him. That isn't fair to her. He's the asshole here. Not her. "Look, I haven't been totally honest with you. I like someone else, like a lot. And I can't… I don't feel right leading you on like this." He steps closer, unhappy to see her frowning. He pushes a few wet strands of hair from her face. "You're awesome, and I love hanging out with you, but I can't do a relationship with you while I'm still hung up on someone else."

"Who is it?" She looks less upset than he would have expected.

"I… That's not really important. I just can't do both, you know?"

"I know. I told you I was fine with this being casual. I'm going away to school, too, you know."

"Yeah, but still… It doesn't feel right. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I get it. Thanks for telling me." She leans up on her knees to kiss him, chaste this time. A friend kiss. "You don't have to go, though. Let's get dressed and we can watch a movie or something. No touching, promise. I won't even make you watch Harry Potter."

He can't say no to her doe eyes. He nods, a little of the guilt shrinking. They do watch Harry Potter, because he feels guilty as shit. It's not the worst thing, but he still isn't reading the damn books.

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/PtaZWst)

 

Meg slinks onto the couch next to Castiel still sweaty from her set and high on adrenaline, that twinkle in her eye that's been there since she got to the house that evening. She hands him one of the whiskeys in her hand.

"What?" he asks, taking his glass, but not drinking it.

Meg tilts her head to the side, dark curls swinging past her shoulder. "So, Dean, huh?"

He isn't sure what Anna's friend could have to do with the self-satisfied smirk she's giving him. "What about him?"

"Just didn't think you'd be into jailbait."

"I'm not. What are you talking about?"

"Uh huh. That why you couldn't keep your eyes off that pretty face of his the whole time he was in the kitchen?"

Castiel levels a look at her. "He's my daughter's friend. Possibly her boyfriend, haven't figured that out yet."

Meg shakes her head. "He's not her boyfriend. That hot little thing wants on your knot, and hard. Can't say I blame him." She curls a hand over his thigh, squeezing his groin through his jeans.

"He's a minor. It doesn't matter."

"For now. Kid's gonna have a birthday eventually."

"Meg," he warns.

"What's wrong, Alpha? You sound frustrated." She squeezes her hand again. "I can help you with that," she murmurs, leaning for a filthy kiss. When he groans into her mouth, she climbs into his lap . He grabs her ass, fingers bunching up her skirt as she rocks against him. He can feel the satisfied grin against his mouth as she bites his bottom lip.

He should be embarrassed by how quickly he's let things heat up, and in public for that matter, but the truth is Meg isn't wrong about Dean. He's been wound up tight ever since he opened the front door to see Dean standing there in a worn leather jacket and tight blue jeans, and the way he'd leaned over the counter in the kitchen to show off that perfect, perky little ass of his had made Cas' mouth water. He's been itching to get his hands around something solid and warm ever since, and Meg never disappoints.

She pulls away and downs her whiskey in one swallow. "Come on, Clarence. Let's see if the bathroom's free and you can show me that knot of yours."

Cas downs his own drink, knowing better than to argue with her. It won't be the first time they've had sex in a bathroom, not even the first time in _this bar's_ bathroom. She grabs his hand as he stands to follow her and glowers down anyone who gives them even a raised eyebrow, band-mates included. She checks the handle on the bathroom door, but it doesn't budge. She curses under her breath and starts pounding on the door. "Hurry the fuck up, asshole. I got a cock to ride."

Cas buries his face in the back of her neck and tries to ignore her crass words. This should be beneath him, but fuck if he doesn't love how filthy Meg is sometimes. The door swings open to a portly man in a leather vest with faded green hair that doesn't suit him and a glare that would turn a normal mortal to dust. Meg just shoves him out of the way and pulls Cas into the tiny room.

He has her backed up against the heavily graffiti-ed wall with his tongue down her throat and a hand already up her skirt before the door's finished slamming shut. He's please to see she isn't wearing underwear. A few fingers and a condom later and he has her turned around with that tight skirt rucked up her hips and her legs spread to give him room.

God, is it satisfying sliding into her wet heat. She groans as he enters, backs up to meet his hips impatiently. He doesn't show her any mercy, one hand digging into her hair and her cheek pushed into the wall as he pounds into her, closing his eyes as he does. He's imagining a very different body under his hands, tighter, leaner, less forgiving. A sweet, delicious scent overpowering his senses. Deeper groans and begging, pleading from a gruffer, younger voice.

He comes quickly, not waiting for her to get off first, lost in his own fantasy. As soon as he comes down, he feels terrible for having used her so blatantly, even though he knows she won't mind. She's panting against the wall, hand working furiously between her legs to get herself off. He thrusts hard into her, helping her as best he can without letting his knot catch. The last thing he needs is to get stuck in a bathroom for twenty minutes waiting for it to go down. He pulls away as she gets close, ignoring her whine of protest as he flips her around and drops to his knees at her feet to finish the job. He can almost block out the imagined cry of his name from very different lips as he makes her come, convulsing on his tongue.

She grins down at him in the aftermath, combing rough fingers through his hair. "You think about that little twink while you fucked me, Alpha?" she asks.

He doesn't meet her eyes, confirmation enough. She laughs at him and hauls him back up for a filthy kiss.

"You don't mind?" he asks when they pull away, guilt slip-sliding inside him.

"Fuck no. Not if you're gonna fuck me that hard while you do it. Just try to last a little longer next time, huh?" She kisses the corner of his mouth, still grinning at him as she they begin righting their clothing. "Come on. Let's go back to my place, and I can ride that cock into the sunset." She grabs his hand and pulls him out of the bathroom, flipping off the line of people glaring at them as they pass.

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/PtaZWst)

 

When Dean plops into his seat, it is with a heavy heart and a pout he knows is less than dignified. "I'm an asshole," he says.

Charlie pauses in shuffling the cards to raise an eyebrow at him. "And?"

Dean buries his face in his hands. "Why am I such a fuck-up, Charlie? I can't keep my pants on."

Silence. A lot of it. When Dean peeks out from between his fingers, Charlie is staring at him with a look of disbelief. "Did you seriously get Novak to fuck you?"

Dean winces. "Which one?"

"Dean! What the hell?"

"I know! I'm a horrible person, Charlie. I just… Anna's cool, you know? I was over there on Thursday night just hanging out and, you know…"

"Finding every means possible to flirt with her dad like the horny teenager you are?"

"Yeah. But his… girlfriend? Fuck buddy? I can't really figure out what she is. The chick in the band? She came by to pick him up, and she made it pretty fucking clear that she's very familiar with Mr. Novak's cock. And I got… jealous, I guess?" Charlie gives him a dark look. "It's fucked up, I know. I wasn't thinking right. When they left, Anna suggested we try the hot tub. There was booze. We were in our underwear. Things… happened."

"You mean you were sexually frustrated by Anna's dad, so you fucked Anna instead?" She doesn't hide the judgement. Dean doesn't blame her.

"I didn't fuck her. Well… I… Imaybefingeredher. But my dick stayed in my pants. Sort of." Charlie stares him down with her judgiest judgey eyes, and he caves like a wet paper towel. "Fine. Hands went places. But our genitals did not touch. That's the important part. And I made sure she knew I like someone else and couldn't do that with her again."

"But you still feel like shit for using her?"

"…Yeah."

Charlie pats his arm. "Look, you're a good guy, Dean, but you can't do that. It's weird and gross and not fair to Anna at all. Pretty sure she's had a thing for you since junior high."

Dean bulks at that. He hadn't realized it went that far back. "Shit. What am I gonna do? I like her a lot. If it wasn't for her dad…"

"Just don't lead her on. Either put her dad out of your head or stop fooling around with her now."

Dean nods, burying his face back in his hands. "Yeah, of course. I don't think I can get her dad out of my head, though. He smells so good, and those eyes. And the tattoos… I can't help myself. He ticks all my boxes. He ticks boxes I didn't even know I had." Charlie only gives him a look. He groans. "I know, I know. The way he looks at me sometimes, though, Charlie. It's not just on my end. I know it isn't."

"It doesn't sound like he's an option, dude."

"I know." Dean lets his posture wither until he's slumped, cheek-down on the table. For a few minutes, the only sound is the cards being shuffled and dealt out. She eventually pokes him on the top of the head.

"You playing or what?"

He sits up, grabbing his cards and shuffling half-heartedly. Too many sheep. He drops his player token on a tile and tries to muster a little more enthusiasm, hoping a game of Settlers will be enough to distract him for a while.

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/PtaZWst)

 

If it had been any other type of fundraiser, Dean would have cried foul and complained about participating the entire time. He hates peddling money from other people. He'll hustle pool all night, but he's not selling fucking overpriced chocolate bars, damnit.

But baking? Dean can bake. When he brings in the four pies stacked in their boxes and sets them on the table, Becky and Garth look at him like he's a god come to Earth. "Are you serious?" Becky asks him, hovering at his elbow to peer inside the boxes. "Oh my god, we can sell these for like $30 a piece. Look at them! They're beautiful!"

Dean tries his hardest not to preen. "I like to bake," he says. Sam pops up after him with the trays of cookies, but he pauses just out of Becky's sight with a look of horror. Dean smirks at him.

"Over here, Sammy."

"Sam! Hi! I didn't think you'd be here. How are you? Let me help you with those," Becky exclaims, beaming at him. She takes a couple of trays from him and sets them out on the table, eyes still glued to Sam.

"Hi Becky," Sam mumbles, his fake smile in place.

"Did you help bake these? They look amazing. I don't know any alphas that can bake. That's really cool of you," she keeps talking. Sam mumbles agreement, making pained faces at Dean over her shoulder as he sets the cookies where she directs him. Dean snickers behind his hand and turns to arrange his pies and make sure they didn't get damaged during transport. They still look perfect, he's pleased to see.

"Didn't know you baked," comes a deep voice from behind him, and Dean turns to find Cole holding what looks like the cash box.

"Yeah," Dean says, not sure how else to answer.

"It's a good skill for an omega to have. You'll make an alpha real happy someday, sweetheart."

And there it is. Dean clenches his hands into fists at his side and tries to take deep breaths through his nose before he punches the guy. This is why they stopped being friends in junior high when Dean presented. Dean gets right up in his face, grateful that his last growth spurt put him a couple inches ahead of Cole. "Call me sweetheart again, and I'll hand you your balls on a plate."

Cole looks alarmed at the threat, probably thinking he wouldn't have expected a dainty omega to be so crass or some other sexist bullshit. Dean turns his back to him and goes back to situating his part of the sale. "I bake because I love pie, and my parents both regularly set the fire alarm off making toast. That's it," he says without looking at Cole.

"You didn't have to get all bent outta shape there, dude. I was just trying to compliment you."

Dean gives him a flat stare without a word. Thankfully, Garth lopes over and takes the cash box with his usual oblivious enthusiasm and the moment is over. But the whole time he spends haggling prices with students and faculty during the sale, in the back of his mind he can't shake the anger.

Later, he texts Charlie, because he has to talk to someone about it, and Sam just doesn't get it. **Cole's an asshole**

Queen of Moondoor: **Yup**

Dean: **He called me sweetheart and told me I was gonna make some alpha happy because I can bake. Sexist asshat.**

Queen of Moondoor: **You should punch him again. It worked in 7th grade.**

Dean snorts at the memory and tucks his phone away, feeling a little better. He's not going to punch anyone, but he might disconnect the battery on Cole's car later.

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/PtaZWst)

 

"Mom, you really didn't have to come to this," Dean reminds his mother as they walk into the classroom together.

Mary rubs his shoulder. "I was never room mother when you were little. I need to make up for lost time before you're too old."

"But I don't even want to go to post-prom. I'm only on this committee because Charlie peer-pressured me into it."

Charlie throws up a fist from the front where she's writing bullet points on the board. "Not sorry."

"I want to support your efforts at civic engagement. Deal with it." She winks at him as she takes a seat in the front row, pulling her phone out as if to end the discussion. Dean lets her be.

There are already a few other parents there, Gilda's mom Dean recognizes, but there's also a giant biker dude wearing a pink bandanna around his neck, and a thin, professional-looking woman with dark hair Dean guesses is Lisa's mom. He goes up to help Charlie get set up as more parents trickle in. Becky pops in with a blonde woman in workout clothes and a guy in a business suit, eyes glued to his Blackberry. They sit in the front near Mary, but thankfully Becky doesn't realize who's mom she is, or she'd probably be peppering Mary with a million questions about Sam.

And then Mr. Novak walks in with Anna. He looks good, darks jeans and a pale blue button-up with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows under a black vest. The roses that crawl up his chest to his neck are visible, as are the Latin verses trailing down his forearms. He looks sinfully good. Dean's entire body starts buzzing with nerves when they take seats next to Mary. The last thing he wants is for his mother to become friends with the alpha he wants to bone. More than bone. Maybe.

"Hi, Anna," his mother says with a little wave and a smile before turning her attention to Novak. "And you must be the Mr. Novak that I've heard so much about. It's nice to finally meet you. I'm Mary Winchester, Dean's mom." She holds her hand out, and they shake. Dean has to physically restrain himself from going over to separate them before any more can be said.

"You can call me Castiel. I've heard quite a bit about you, as well. Dean speaks very highly of you. He says you work for the FBI?"

"Yeah, but it's isn't as impressive as it sounds, I promise. I mostly investigate illegal growing operations. Lot of paperwork, not a lot of action."

"That sounds fascinating. I have so many questions about how the FBI works."

"I'd be happy to answer them. Dean said you're a writer?"

He nods. "Horror, mostly."

They keep talking, animated even. Dean leans into Charlie's shoulder. "My mom and Novak are getting chummy. Can we move this along before they start planning dinner parties, please?"

Charlie cackles at him, but does as he asks. "Okay, everyone, thank you for coming. I'm Charlie Bradbury and this is Dean Winchester. We're in charge of the entertainment for prom this year, which is why we've asked you all here. We have a few ideas for post-prom, but we wanted the parents to be involved, since we will need you to help chaperon."

"We also thought you might have better ideas for how to go about booking something like a post-prom and figuring out travel logistics and all that than we do. We're both kind of new to the whole party planning thing," Dean adds, doing everything he can to avoid eye contact with either his mother or Mr. Novak.

The professional-looking mom raises her hand, already holding a notebook. "Where have you started?" she asks.

Charlie explains the ideas they've already come up with and who they've talked to. Dean's been more in charge of the during-prom entertainment, so he can't answer many of the questions. He tries not to watch Mr. Novak while everyone talks, but it's hard when he's so well-dressed and looks so serious, leaning over the desk with his chin in his hand. Dean misses half of what's said.

Novak raises a hand while they're discussing catering for post-prom. "I'll have to talk to him, but my brother owns Just Desserts. I think between Anna and myself, we could probably persuade him to cater at least the sweets portion of the evening at a steep discount."

Dean suddenly regrets not showing more of an interest in post-prom. "That would be great! I was thinking pizza for the food-food, and like vegetable trays and stuff for the health nuts in the group." Charlie keeps talking, and Dean writes things down on the board for her. By the time the meeting is over, they have a preliminary list of chaperones and a plan of attack for estimates and booking options.

The Novaks walk out with them, Mr. Novak talking to Mary about FBI stuff again while Anna hangs back with Dean and Charlie. "Look out. Our parents are going to start hanging out if we aren't careful," Anna says.

Dean and Charlie exchange a look. "Good news is, Mrs. Winchester can't cook to save her life, so dinner parties are out," Charlie says, far more chipper about the situation than Dean feels.

"Yeah, but you've seen our dining room. Dinner parties are very much in Dad's wheelhouse."

"I would pay money to see Mr. Winchester's reaction to your house."

"Oh god, he would hate it," Dean says, cringing at the very thought.

"Who would hate what?" Mary asks, turning to them as they reach the Impala. Dean sees Anna's Focus parked in the next spot over.

"One of the kids on the committee, don't worry about it," Dean lies quickly, not wanting to bring up any mention of a possible dinner party. He's already buzzing enough being so close to Novak while his mom is there.

She narrows her eyes at him, clearly picking up on the lie, but drops the subject. "Well, Castiel, it was lovely to finally get to meet you. Thank you for letting Dean spend so much time at your house. I know his grades in English have never been better."

A few pleasantries later and they're in their cars, Dean in the back because Mary never lets him drive or make Charlie sit in the back seat. "I like Anna's dad quite a bit. I understand now why you talk about him so much," Mary tells them, smiling at Dean in the rearview mirror. Dean fakes a smile, even as Charlie turns around in the seat to give him a knowing look.

"Yeah, I like him."

"And that Anna girl is so sweet. Why don't you invite her over to our house more often?"

"Yeah, Dean, why don't you invite her over to your house more often?" Charlie asks, still with the look of glee.

"Anna doesn't have any bratty siblings wandering around, making noise, asking questions, being annoying. Her dad spends most of his time upstairs writing. It's quiet."

"And probably full of ghosts."

"Mr. Novak says there's no ghosts."

"What else did Mr. Novak say?" Charlie mocks him.

He flips her off without answering.

"Well, I like them both," Mary says, smiling at Dean through the rearview mirror again.

Dean smiles back. "Me, too."

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/PtaZWst)

 

Sprawled out in bed with a joint between them, still sweaty from a vigorous fuck is probably not the best time to bring up feelings. Which is why Cas turns his head as he hands the joint back to Meg with knitted brows. "Do you ever wish you had something more… substantial?"

Meg raises an eyebrow as she holds her lungful in. "What are you talking about?" she asks as she exhales towards the ceiling.

Cas shifts onto his side, reaching out to trace the demonic symbols etches up her side. "Mates. Do you ever think about having one? This casual stuff is fun, but have you ever wanted… companionship? Love?"

Meg narrows her eyes at him, taking another deep hit before answering. "I thought you were done with all that shit after Amelia died."

"I was. I'm just… curious. Do you ever think you'll settle down?"

"What, find some asshole to buy a house with, have pups? Can you imagine me pregnant? Fuck no. I hate kids."

"I know you do. But you don't want to, I don't know, go on real dates? Family dinners? Maybe have someone leave their mark on you?" He thumbs over the spot a mark might go, just at the curve of her neck and shoulder.

She pulls away, sitting up. "Is that what you want? I thought we were clear when we started fucking. That's all this is. I love you, Clarence, but as a friend. I don't need a mate."

He waves a hand at her, shaking his head. "No, no, I don't want that. I'm just asking if that's something you think you would ever want. In the future. Not necessarily with me." He takes the joint from her and drops it in the ashtray on the bedside table.

She keeps her eyes narrowed. "Is this about that kid you want to fuck? He putting ideas in that fluffy head of yours?"

"No." _Yes_. "I liked having a mate when I had one, but the pain of losing her is more than I am interested in re-visiting. I was merely asking a question. I'm sorry I brought it up."

Meg re-situates herself with a little more force than necessary. "You better be. Fuckin' with my buzz here."

"I apologize. How can I make it up to you?" He scoots closer, holding out an arm to pull her closer. She scowls at him, but lets him.

"You could eat my pussy for a start."

"I would be happy to," he tells her with a wicked grin, but he knows it doesn't meet his eyes. He crawls between her legs before she can notice and begins licking his way to a proper apology. When her fingers dig into his hair, he knows the moment is forgiven, but it doesn't quiet the voice in the back of his head. The voice that wants more.

The voice that wants Dean.

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/VLYQHyX)

 

"Head's up: Anna's asking you to prom in the quad tomorrow morning," Charlie announces as she hands him the soldering iron.

Dean freezes, momentarily forgetting what he was doing, crouched down next to Leia. "What?"

"Yeah, she told me in AP Government this morning. She has a whole plan. I think there's glitter involved."

"I... what? Glitter? Why is there glitter?"

"I don't know, man. She's doing one of those elaborate promposal things. She's really excited about it, so you have to be cool."

Dean collapses on the floor, groaning. "No. Please not one of those stupid fucking proposal things. I don't think my parents' mating was that fucking obnoxious."

"They probably had less clothes on."

"Charlie! Can we not talk about my parents naked? Jesus." He rolls back onto his knees, glaring as he picks the soldering iron back up and gets back to re-attaching Leia's rear light sensor while Charlie laughs at him. "Why is she even asking me? We aren't dating."

"Yeah, but neither of you are dating anyone else, and you spend so much time together you might as well be dating. And there was the hot tub incident…"

Dean points the soldering iron at her. "We said we weren't going to talk about that again."

"Dean, stop threatening Charlie with the soldering iron, please," Ms. Berry deadpans, giving him a look over her reading glasses. Dean lowers the tool, but keeps his eyes narrowed on Charlie.

"Anyway, you're going to say yes, right?"

"I… guess? Should I? Isn't it a little strange for me to go to prom with her when I'm trying to, you know…" He flaps his hand in a bad pantomime for Mr. Novak.

Charlie rolls her eyes. "That's not gonna happen, dude. Just take her to prom. She knows you don't want to date her for real. Don't be a dick."

He sighs to himself, focusing his attention back on the circuitry. "Fine. I'm still not wearing robes, though."

"Uh huh."

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/VLYQHyX)

 

Dean steels himself when he pulls into the parking lot the next morning. "You might want to make a run for it. I'm being prom-posed to in a few minutes," he tells Sam.

Sam grins, his phone in his hand. "Oh, I know. I'm gonna stream it." He gets out of the car and shuts the door with a little more force than Dean's happy about. He climbs out of the Challenger with a grimace, but reminds himself he's not supposed to know what's about to happen a second later and school's his face to a more neutral expression. He's still not in love with the idea of going to prom with Anna. What if it changes the way Novak looks at him? "Are you ready for the show?" Sam asks, phone camera pointed right at Dean.

Dean glares, only resisting flicking the camera off because he knows his grandma's probably going to see this at some point. "Let's get this over with."

There's a small crowd in the quad, including most of his friends, half the robotics team, the entire prom committee, and of course Anna in the middle of them with a bouquet of… Are those jumper wires? Dean's so distracted by the bouquet that he almost misses Leia rolling up to him, a sign held in her extender arms that says 'Will you be the Han to my Leia at Prom?' It's cheesy, and Charlie wasn't lying about the glitter, but it's kind of cute. And he can't be mad about them all using Leia. He laughs and plucks the sign out of her clamps, patting her protective casing as Anna approaches.

"So? Wanna be my date?" she asks. She actually looks nervous, which just makes him feel like an ass for being annoyed about the whole thing.

He smiles and nods. "Yeah, of course."

"Awesome! We're going to have so much fun!" She jumps up to hug him, pulling him down to her level. There's a lot of cheering from the crowd of on-lookers. Dean hugs her back and hides his face in her neck to hide his embarrassment.

"Just as friends, right? I've still got the other thing going…" he asks, voice muffled by her sweater.

"Of course. Are you kidding? We're three months out from college. I don't want to start anything now," she assures him with a sharp laugh.

"Just so we understand each other." He pats her on the shoulder blade before letting her go.

She sticks the bouquet in his chest with a quirked smile. "Here, they were Dad's idea. For Leia, since she was so kind as to assist me."

"For me?" croaks Leia's robot voice. Dean looks from her to Alicia, holding onto her remote. She winks at him. He groans at the cheesiness of it and drops the wires into her outstretched clamp. She pulls them closer to her and spins around to roll back towards Alicia.

"Make sure you wipe her treads off when she's back inside," Dean reminds her. She flips him off and walks away, Leia trailing behind her.

The crowd begins to disperse, and Sam drops his phone, pouting. "That wasn't nearly as embarrassing as I was hoping it would be."

"Go to class, bitch."

"Jerk," Sam snaps back, flipping Dean off before walking away.

Anna raises an eyebrow at Dean. "It's a thing we do. Don't worry about it."

She shrugs. "Walk me to my locker so we can talk about plans?"

"Sure. I already told Charlie I'm not wearing a robe, though, so if that was the plan, kill it."

Anna laughs. "No, I was thinking more traditional, don't worry. I don't like Harry Potter _that_ much."

And Dean is once more reminded of how cool she is. He drops an arm around her shoulders and walks with her to class, no longer so weirded out by the whole prom date thing.

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/VLYQHyX)

 

"Why didn't we have some kind of rule about exempting the committee?" Dean grumbles as the third person to congratulate him in an hour walks away. He's been grumbling about the revelation that he has been nominated to the Court for the last half an hour. Is it excessive? Yes. Is Charlie probably two minutes from stabbing him with her pocket knife? Yes. Does he care? Fuck no.

"Because we didn't think anyone would vote for your ugly ass. Now be a good handmaiden and stop talking." She smiles at the next student and sells them two tickets, reminding them that there will only be light snack foods at prom, and they should probably eat beforehand.

Dean grumbles to himself as he does the same. He hadn't even wanted to go to prom in the first place, especially not after all the planning he's put into the thing. If he never sees another paper mache icicle in his life, it will be too soon. And all the glitter. So much glitter. He's going to be finding it in the shower for years.

Another half an hour passes, and Charlie stands up abruptly and starts gathering her things. "Alright, nerd, I gotta go help Devereaux setup the new laptops they got to replace the ones the Freshman monsters destroyed. I'll see you on Saturday?"

Dean nods, still confused. "Am I gonna be alone now? I thought we had to have two people."

"Yeah, Anna got someone to cover for me. They're probably on the way. You'll be fine." She pats him on the shoulder and walks off, humming to herself.

Dean sells a few more tickets, looking around to see if anyone from the committee pops up. He's in the middle of explaining to a girl that it goes against school policy for her to bring her 25-year-old boyfriend to prom when he feels someone sit in the seat next to him and glances over to see Lisa setting her things down. _Fuck_.

He manages to ignore her for a half an hour, but then the lunch rush is over and it's just the two of them alone in the hallway. He grabs Advanced Robotics textbook and tries to read, but he can feel her eyes on him.

"I saw on Snapchat that you're going to prom with Anna. I thought we talked about this, Dean," she says after a few minutes.

"Talked about what?" Dean asks, dropping his book into his lap. He can already feel the tension headache.

"You are a strong, healthy, intelligent omega. If you keep dating betas, you'll never reach your full potential. You need an alpha to support you and take care of your needs."

"Lisa, my needs stopped being your problem when you broke up with me. Why can't you mind your own business?"

"Because you are a rare gift, Dean. We only have three omegas in this entire school. Three. Out of 1500 students. I care what happens to you."

"'What happens to me'? Fuck you. Who I date is none of your business. Keep your opinions to yourself, or I'm sending in a sexual harassment complaint to Turner."

"I am not sexually harassing you." She looks offended at the very idea.

"Fuck if you're not. You keep bringing up my second sex designation. Pretty sure you've mentioned I'm an omega in every conversation I've had with you since we broke up. A year ago."

"You don't need to curse at me."

"Am I shattering your precious image of a meek, submissive little omega by saying fuck a lot? Too bad. I say fuck a lot. And it's none of your business, either."

Lisa picks at her nails with a pout. "I just thought—"

"I don't care. Keep it to yourself. In fact, I'll help you out. I've only got another half an hour here, and I'm pretty sure we're not gonna get more than one or two more buyers before then, so I'm gonna head to class and let you figure your shit out all on your own. Make sure Crowley gets the cash box when you're done." He gets up and gathers his things, shutting his box up and taking it with him. She tries to protest his leaving, but he ignores her, practically vibrating with anger. Fuck if he's talking to her sexist ass again. When he bangs into Mrs. Mosley's class and finds his seat, she only raises an eyebrow at him before continuing her lecture.

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/VLYQHyX)

 

When Dean walks up to the Novaks' front door, he's surprisingly nervous. He's walked up these steps so many times that he practically doesn't need to knock, but decked out in a three-piece suit, his parents' prize possession waiting on the curb, he is hyper-aware of just what kind of impression he wants to make on the man of the house. Mr. Novak opens the door, and his eyes hood over as soon as he gets a good look at Dean. "Dean. You look… very nice tonight. Come in. Anna will be down in a moment." He ushers Dean into the house, his eyes never leaving Dean's body. It makes Dean want to blush, but also maybe jump Novak right here in the hallway.

"Thanks. I thought since she's not doing the colored dress thing, I could do it instead. You think it works?" He pats down his emerald green suit jacket, more to show off how well it fits him than because he's not sure how it looks.

Novak's eyes travel his entire frame with appreciation. "You look wonderful." He catches when he meets Dean's eyes again and clears his throat, adjusting his t-shirt. "What I mean is that I think you will strike a nice contrast with Anna's dress."

Anna herself appears at that moment, holding onto the train of her floor-length gown as her heels click on the hardwood. Her dress is only a shade darker than her own skin and covered in tiny sequined flowers that sparkle in the hall light. Dean whistles when he sees her. "You look amazing," he tells her, holding out the corsage he brought, blood red to match her hair.

She raises an eyebrow at him as he helps her put it on. "You don't look so bad yourself. You clean up nice, Winchester."

"Pictures. I was told by Mary that if I did not take at least 50 pictures, she will put me on a no-fly list for a year," Novak says, picking up his giant camera from a side table. Dean internally groans. He hates staged pictures.

They end up taking at least twice as many as his mom asked for before Novak lets them leave. Dean feels his eyes on them all the way to the car. Anna squeals when she sees it. "You're parents let you take their car?"

"Who needs a limousine when you have beauty like this in the garage?" Dean says as he sweeps the passenger door open for her.

She giggles and gets in, careful not to snag her dress. "I'm surprised your mom let your drive it."

"Mom threatened to make me intern at the Bureau this summer if anything happens to her."

"So we probably shouldn't make out in the backseat later, then?" she teases.

Dean laughs, shaking his head. "Probably not."

"Damn, Winchester, crushing my dreams already." She winks at him with a big smile, and he's suddenly very glad they're friends.

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/VLYQHyX)

 

It's late. The ridiculous plastic crown he and Charlie bought at the Dollar Store is on someone else's head, thank fuck, and Anna lost her heels under their table an hour ago. They're swaying to what Dean knows is the final dance of the night, both a little tipsy from the flask Max snuck in, Anna's head resting on Dean's shoulders. He buries his nose in her curls and sighs, both content and not. She smells just a little like Cas, but holding her, he can't help but wish he was the one being held instead. Maybe Lisa was right about the whole omegas needing alphas thing. He scowls at himself. No, she wasn't. She was being sexist and stereotyping. Wanting to be with a particular alpha doesn't mean he's giving in to those stereotypes. It's just… Cas smells so good. And he's fucking awesome. And Dean would give his left arm to find out what it would feel like to sway with him like this. Or in other ways. Less…clothed ways. He would love that even more.

The song ends, and with it their prom. Mr. Crowley steps up to the microphone with a wicked smile. "Looks like we're done here, then. All of your get out before we sick the dogs on you." He chuckles at his own joke before dropping the smirk. "In all seriousness, thank you all for coming tonight. We hope it was as magical an evening as you expected. Drive home safely, and if you brought booze to the post-prom, know that I will find you. Good night."

"I hope Uncle Gabe made red velvet cupcakes. I'm starving," Anna says as they climb into the car a little while later, dropping her shoes into her lap and wincing as she pulls a few bobby pins out of her hair, letting it fall down in curly waves.

Dean nods, half-listening. An idea has started to sprout in his head. Maybe a dick move, but worth it. Maybe. Probably. He glances at Anna, looks in the back seat at Charlie and Gilda kissing like there aren't two other people in the car. They won't be noticing anyone but each other for the rest of the night, he knows from experience.

Anna rubs his shoulder as they pull up to the lot for the post-prom cruise ship. "Hey, you okay? You've been quiet since last dance."

"Just got a lot moving around up here. I'm gonna drop you guys off and park the car, if that's cool? I wanna park in the way back, and I don't think you girls want to walk all that way in those dresses."

Anna nods, and leans over to kiss his cheek. "That's very sweet of you. I'll save you a cupcake, okay?"

"Sounds great." He smiles at her and waits for the three of them to pile out and grab their back packs and garment bags from the trunk. He even waits until they're waving to him from the gang plank, all smiles like they think they'll see him in a few minutes. He feels guilty when he turns towards the back of the lot only to circle around and leave. But only until he reminds himself where he's going instead.

Waiting at a light, he texts Charlie. **Don't think I'm in the mood for post-prom shenanigans. Can you guys get a ride home with Garth?**

Charlie texts back a second later: **You're the worst. I'm telling everyone you have crabs.**

Dean rolls his eyes, knowing she doesn't mean it. **Thanks ;)**

Charlie: **Asshole <3**

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/VLYQHyX)

 

Moping over a teenager is pathetic at the best of times, but when that boy is currently at the prom with his own daughter, it feels like a new low. And yet here Castiel is, slumped in a lounge chair by the pool, nursing a large glass of whiskey and lamenting his life choices. He should be happy for his daughter, hopeful that the night is as magical as she deserves. He shouldn't be pining after a teenager. And yet.

The crunch of gravel under foot breaks him from his musings. He looks up to see a figure walking closer.

Seeing Dean decked out in that sleek three-piece suit had been stunning enough when they took pictures earlier, but after a night of dancing, jacket missing, vest unbuttoned, and tie loose around his neck, his shirt unbuttoned down to the breast bone, Dean is irresistible. And that smirk says he knows it as he saunters closer, pulling his tie off his neck in a slow slide that sends shivers down Cas' back.

"Shouldn't you be at the overnight with Anna and your friends?" Cas asks, heat creeping up his neck with every step Dean takes nearer.

"Nope. I'd much rather spend the night with you." Dean wraps the tie around Cas' neck when he gets close and steps over Cas' chair to straddle him, trapping Castiel. Alarm bells go off in his head even as the warm scent of Dean clouds his senses.

"Dean…" He clenches his hands into fists, hovering just over Dean's splayed thighs.

"Yes, Mr. Novak?" Dean asks with a smirk, not even bothering to pretend at coquettish as he pulls the tie—and by proxy Cas—closer. His lips are close enough to touch, close enough to taste the faint trace of alcohol on his breath.

"You're eighteen."

"Legal." Dean nudges his nose against Cas'.

"You're my daughter's friend."

"Doesn't mean I can't be your friend, too." He emphasizes 'friend' with a slow roll of his hips. He smells sticky sweet without blockers, filling up Castiel's senses until all he can feel is Dean, Dean, Dean. The fragile hold he's had on his instincts snaps under the pressure, and he presses his mouth to Dean's. Dean lets out the prettiest little whine as he returns the kiss, sinking further into Castiel's lap, his fingers sliding into Cas' hair and grabbing hold as he returns the kiss. 

Once the barrier is broken between them, Castiel gives in to his urge for touch. He slides his hands around Dean's waist under the vest, then up the wiry chords of his back and shoulders to push off the vest. Dean lets go of his hair long enough to let the vest go, still rocking oh-so-slowly on his lap. He can feel Dean's hard-on against his stomach, his own rubbing up against Dean's crack, pulling tiny whines from him with every rock of his hips. He traces the lines of the shirt to his breastbone and begins unbuttoning it, sending it the way of the jacket to the concrete. Dean isn't any help, busy trying to pull Castiel's own shirt over his head, even as he sucks Castiel's bottom lip into his mouth. A bit of fumbling later and both are on the ground. Dean wraps his arms around Castiel's neck, pressing their chests together as he kisses Cas deep and dirty.

"Want you so bad, Alpha," he murmurs against Cas' lips. Cas can't help the growl of agreement as he digs fingers into Dean's hips and clutches him close. He shifts his legs to straddle the chair, laying Dean down across the long seat, his legs dangling off of Castiel's. He grips onto the bottom bar of the chair and arches up in invitation, all that smooth, tanned skin ready for him to explore. Castiel can't resist leaning down over Dean and licking a trail up the line of his abdomen to the dip at the joint of his collar bones. Dean moans, pressing his hips up to rut against Cas' belly, the scratch of the wool dress slacks electrifying. He reaches down to unbuckle Dean's pants as he kisses a line to Dean's nipple and worries it between his lips. Dean moans, rocking his hips up again. Cas smirks against the nub and sucks, hard. The resulting 'Oh fuck, please' is music to his ears.

He pulls away to tug the pants down, shifting Dean's hips higher to tug pants and underwear up over Dean's knees, just enough to expose his wet, dripping hole. Dean's breath is caught as he watches Cas dip down to taste—finally taste—the sweet elixir of slick dribbling from his entrance. Dean cries out, bucking his hips up to meet Cas' mouth. Cas grins against the slick skin, testing, prodding with his tongue until Dean's hole relaxes enough to give him entrance. Dean moans again, a wrecked sound that goes straight to Cas' cock. He adds a finger, dipping it in beside his tongue to stretch Dean open. It doesn't take much, Dean's muscles easily parting for him. Soon he has three fingers in him, brushing along his prostate and licking at his rim stretched wide around them. Dean is making a symphony of noises, all the prettiest sounds Castiel has ever heard.

He grows impatient, ready to take what he has wanted and resisted for so very long. He lifts Dean's ankles onto his shoulders, the pants bunched up against his neck and chest as he bends Dean in half and kisses him, sloppy from Dean's own slick. Dean lets go of the chair to cling onto his neck, holding him close as their tongues move together, stroking, soothing. Castiel has never wanted to be inside another person with such urgency before.

He feels Dean fumbling around until he pushes something into Castiel's chest. Cas looks down to find a wallet being thrust at him. Dean drops his head back, looking the utter mess Castiel intends to make him. "Condom," he murmurs.

Castiel opens it up once he understands, finding three k-condoms tucked in among the dollar bills and receipts. He pulls one out and drops the wallet atop their pile of clothes, leaning back to fumble his lounge pants down passed his hips. His cock juts out from his groin, rock hard and dripping with pre-cum. He slides the condom on with ease, making sure to fit it over his knot even as the realization of what these condoms means hits him. "Do you really want me to…" Cas asks, disbelieving that he could be given such a gift. He bends Dean's legs to his chest once more to look him in the eye.

Dean nods, his pretty green eyes omega gold-rimmed with lust. "Wanted your knot since the first time I saw you. Please, Alpha." He shifts his hips to emphasize his point, rubbing his slick hole against Cas' erection. Cas kisses him, wanting to dominate every part of him, take him and mark him as his. He reaches down long enough to position himself and slides in, the way made easy with slick despite how tight Dean is. Dean whines again as Cas brushes his prostate, and digs his fingers back in Cas' scalp. "God, Alpha, you're so much bigger than I dreamed you'd be. Fill me up," he moans, lifting his head up for another deep kiss as Cas bottoms out.

He shifts his feet to get a better stance and begins thrusting, hovering over Dean, delighting in the pleasure that washes over him with every thrust. Dean cries out when his prostate is brushed, reaching up to grip onto Cas' biceps for balance. Cas grins. "You're so beautiful like this, sweetheart. You take my cock so good."

"I want it, Alpha. You feel so good inside me. So big," Dean whines, kissing him again. He makes an annoyed noise as the pants prevent him getting even closer, and lets go of Cas long enough to push them over Cas' head, hooking them behind his neck and dragging the two of them ever closer. Cas pounds hard into him, wanting to see him come apart. Dean holds onto him for dear life and kisses him with equal possessive passion.

Cas can feel that he's close, but he isn't done with him quite yet. He picks Dean up, sitting back on the chair with Dean in his lap, Dean's ankles still resting on his shoulders. Dean takes the hint and levers himself up using Cas' knees as stability as he begins dropping down on Cas' cock, riding him hard and fast, the slap of their skin loud and so wet it makes Cas growl with pleasure. He digs lines down Dean's back with his blunt nails, helping him drop down further and faster, thrusting up to meet him. Dean is clearly in his element like this, so beautiful, grinning and giggling even as he moans like a dirty whore riding Cas' cock.

Cas grips onto his ass hard as he begins to feel his knot swell. Dean digs his hips deeper, grinding on his knot until he begins to shudder with his orgasm, mouth open in an O of ecstasy as he paints his stomach white. He clenches around Cas with every spurt of cum, and it isn't a moment before Cas is locked inside him and coming harder than he ever has in his life.

When he comes back to his senses, Dean is grinning at him, a slow, lazy thing. He looks beautiful. Cas pulls him close and kisses him, and Dean hums against his mouth, still grinning. When he pulls back, he can't resist the scent of Dean's cum anymore. He stretches Dean back as far as he can on the seat and leans down to lick up the streaks of his pleasure. It's a heady ambrosia, as sweet and delicious as his slick, and the noises Dean makes with each stripe of his tongue only adds to the flavor.

When he's done, he sits up, just spending a few moments basking in the beauty of his lover, stretched out and well-satisfied. Dean rolls his hips a few times, clenching down on his knot and sending violent shocks of pleasure up his spine. He pulls Dean back to sitting in his lap. "Lets find a bed before the neighbors see us," he says, surprised by how gruff his voice is.

Dean laughs, reaching behind his head to untie and drop first one, then the other of his shoes. The pants and underwear are next, leaving him naked in Castiel's lap. "If they didn't hear us just now, they're either deaf or in denial, but I'm not gonna turn down letting you knot me in a bed." Dean cups his jaw and kisses him, deep and somehow urgent despite their having already come. "Take me to bed, Alpha."

Castiel picks him up and does just that.

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/VLYQHyX)

 

Castiel wakes to a room full of a heady mix of sex and happy omega and is hit with instant regret. He should never have given in to Dean, no matter how good he looked in that suit or how good he felt pressed so close in Castiel's lap or how god damn good he smells. Dean had come to the house intoxicated, young, and naive, and Castiel had taken advantage of him. And Anna, how was she going to react to this? How could he have been so irresponsible?

"Calm down, Alpha. The world isn't going to end just because you fucked a twink," Dean huffs from his left, voice muffled by the pillow. He shifts over closer and tries to curl up against Castiel, but Cas sits up to get away from him, ignoring his attempt at reassurance.

"This cannot happen again. What if Anna were to find—"

As if summoned by her name, the sound of the front door slamming cuts Castiel off mid-sentence and is followed by Anna's voice shouting across the house. "I SURVIVED POST-PROM, IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING." Footsteps, and then her voice at a normal level talking through the door. Castiel thanks every deity that might be listening that she doesn't open it. "Dean ditched me, but I ended up meeting this really cute alpha on the boat and hung out with him all night, so no big. I'm gonna take a shower and sleep until college. Cool?"

"That sounds like a good strategy. I'm glad you had fun," he says, loud enough to be heard through the solid oak.

"Yep! I'll show you the pictures later. But first, all the sleep."

They listen to her footsteps recede down the hall, followed by the sound of her bedroom door closing and eventually water running. Castiel collapses against the pillow in relief, but it only lasts until he looks over at Dean, mussed and sleepy smiling across the mattress like a dog who just ate the Thanksgiving turkey.

"You have to leave," Castiel tells him.

Dean stretches in an enticing manner, but otherwise does not move to get up. The sheets settle precariously low on his bare hips. "Why? She's not coming back, and she doesn't care anyway. You heard her. She met some hot alpha."

"That does not negate the fact that I slept with a friend of hers. It was wrong. It can't happen again."

"Ugh, fine." Dean rolls off the bed and onto his feet in one fluid motion, his smooth, tanned skin glistening in the morning sunlight streaming in through the windows. Castiel begins to panic that the neighbors might see, but Dean is shuffling into his walk-in closet before he has time to work one up.

"What are you doing?" He asks, getting out of bed himself, grabbing a pillow to cover his groin. Dean takes one look at him from the back of the closet and snorts.

"You had that dick in me not five hours ago. You're really gonna go modest on me now?" He turns away and begins riffling through Castiel's drawers until he pulls out a pair of worn sweat pants and a t-shirt and begins to dress.

"Why are you putting on my clothes?"

"Because you left most of mine by the pool last night, covered in splooge. You really want me to wear that outside? I parked two blocks over. The neighbors are gonna see." He draws the drawstring in tight and ties it as he talks. Cas had not thought he could make a more tempting sight, but swamped in Castiel's clothes, hair still a mess of sex and sleep, bright-eyed and more awake than he has any right to be, Dean is beyond beautiful. Cas would like nothing better than to tumble him back into bed and get him gloriously naked once more. Dean must smell his arousal because he steps in close, finger tracing the very edge of the pillow. "You sure you want me to leave, Alpha?"

He takes too long to answer, his willpower next to nothing in the face of Dean's closeness. Dean's kissing him before he can react to stop it, mouth soft and inviting despite the morning breath. He drops the pillow to bury fingers in Dean's hair, pulling him closer as Dean hums, his scent a heady cloud of happy and aroused.

Reality comes crashing back to him with the loud sound of the pipes shutting off. He pulls away quickly and picks the pillow back up to cover his burgeoning erection. "This is wrong. You have to go."

"Okay, Alpha, but I gotta go get my suit from the backyard first. Anna's gonna see it from her window."

Cas makes a frustrated sound in the back of his throat and moves past Dean to grab a pair of pajamas pants himself, pulling them on with more force than necessary. "You stay here. I'll get the clothes, and then you have to leave."

"Can I at least get a cup of coffee, first? Since you're not gonna make me breakfast?" He bats his eyes, and he knows what he's doing to Cas by the smirk that matches. Cas has to take several steps away to avoid temptation.

"No. I'll be right back." He walks out of the room as quietly as possible, avoiding the creaky stairs so as not to alert Anna that he's left the room. Once he reaches the stairs, he hustles to the backyard to grab the evidence of their tryst. He is horrified by what he sees.

Dean's clothes are spread around the lounge chair, his shoes dropped haphazardly nearby. Anyone looking into the backyard could guess immediately what they had been up to. He reaches down to gather everything up, but he's struck momentarily dumb when the scent hits him. Sweet slick and sweat and the delicious, overpowering scent of Dean happy and aroused mixed with his own, heartier scent. He picks the pile closest up and holds Dean's shirt to his nose, smelling their mixed scents and getting lost in a daydream of what that would be like, permanently.

But that could never happen, he reminds himself, picking up the shoes and socks and heading back inside before Anna sees him. Dean is much too young for mating, and Castiel already decided long ago that he never would again. Dean is going off to college in the fall, far away to the East Coast. Before long, Castiel will be a distant memory, a story he tells his friends when he's drunk. Nothing else. He can't be anything else.

When he gets back up to his bedroom, Dean is standing at the dresser looking at the photos he has set up there. He looks over when Castiel enters, a little of his pep gone. Cas shoves the clothes into Dean's arms and points toward the door. "We can never talk of this again."

"Oh course, Alpha. Whatever you want," Dean nods, solemn as he accepts the bundle, and Castiel can detect a hint of hurt in his scent, hurt and unhappiness. It makes him want to grovel at his feet and beg forgiveness, anything to make that scent go away. He resists the urge. Hurt omega now is better than heartbroken omega later. Dean walks out without another word. Castiel collapses onto the bed as the door shuts, burying his face in his hands.

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/VLYQHyX)

 

Dean's graduation nerves are only compounded by the fact that this will be the first time he sees Cas since he left the house the morning after prom. He took Anna to a movie to apologize for ditching her, and she seemed to accept his excuse that he'd been a little drunk and wanted to see his crush, but he hadn't been back to the house yet. Now he's surrounded by his peers in an itchy red graduation gown with cords dangling around his neck and a hat that will not stay on his head. He could not look less attractive without serious effort on his part. It is also glaringly obvious how young he is, the exact opposite of what he wants to convey to your-my-daughter's-friend-and-age Castiel Novak.

He walks into the crowded auditorium next to a blonde girl he's never spoken to before and takes a seat, turning immediately to find his family, sitting in a back row with giant smiles on their faces. Even Grandpa Henry is there, and Dean's fairly certain he still hasn't forgiven John for joining the Marines and becoming a mechanic instead of the History scholar Grandpa Henry tried to groom him to be. Grandpa Henry nods at Dean with an approving smile. Of course. Dean's aiming much higher than his dad ever did. Dean nods back to his grandfather and takes the extra second to wave at Nana Campbell before scouring the crowd for Cas.

He finds him a moment later, much closer to the door, his big, fancy camera in hand. He's wearing a fucking waistcoat again, Dean's kryptonite. Dean has to try not to melt at the sight of it. He's sitting next to a stiff-looking woman who keeps eyeing him like he's dirt under her shoes. From what he's heard from Anna, he has a feeling it's her ultra-conservative grandma. Dean locks eyes with Cas, but Cas quickly cuts off the connection, looking rattled as he focuses back on Anna five rows in front of Dean.

Dean's stomach sinks.  He'd felt like shit after Cas left to get his clothes that morning, suddenly realizing that the thing he'd been fantasizing about and working towards all year wasn't the satisfying experience he'd anticipated. He had wanted to curl up with Cas and sleep all day, maybe crawl under the covers and see what that big knot felt like lodged behind his teeth for half an hour. Instead, he'd been kicked out and told the greatest thing that had ever happened to him could never happen again. And even if Cas had had a good point in saying that they shouldn't keep doing it while Anna was in the house, he'd made what they did sound so… dirty and wrong. It had put a bad taste in Dean's mouth, and he didn't want his memories of sleeping with Cas to have that kind of stigma. He wanted good, pleasant, happy memories. The sex itself had been so good, so perfect, and he didn't like it being tainted. He was determined to get Cas to do it again. Maybe all summer, if he can manage. Which is why he has to talk to Cas.

With that goal in mind, the ceremony itself didn't matter much—not that it would have otherwise. He was only bothering walking because his parents strong-armed him into it. It takes a lot longer than Dean would like. He has to go up on stage to get an excellence award three times, which is just excessive, really. The awards helped him get the scholarship to MIT, but climbing over knees and apologizing for bumping people while an entire auditorium of people watches him is not his ideal situation. And the whooping and hollering of his family every time his name is called is just embarrassing. At least he isn't valedictorian. Kevin Tran looks like he wants to eat his own cap out of nerves for the entirety of his speech. And there are pictures. So many damn pictures.

Eventually they're walking out row by row. He ends up leaving the auditorium next to the same girl he walked in with, still nameless. He parts from her as soon as they hit the parking lot, walking off in hopes of finding Castiel before either of them find their families. The crowd of graduates is large and loud in the open air. Dean spots Castiel well before his own family, but his mother is standing next to him, eyeing the graduates with the same disapproving eye she appears to give everything. Dean still shoulders his way over, even though he knows he won't be able to say anything about their night together with her there.

Cas looks equal parts pleased to see him and uneasy with his own pleasure. "Congratulations," he says when Dean gets within ear shot.

Dean smiles and steps into his personal space, acting as if he has trouble hearing the man speak. "Thanks. I'm glad you're here, even if it's not for me."

"Of course. To be honest, I probably would have come even if Anna wasn't graduating as well."

Dean leans in closer, warmth spreading through his belly. "Yeah?"

"It would have been a terrible idea, but yes. I am… quite proud of you."

"Yeah, Alpha?" Dean hedges, reaching out a finger to trace along Castiel's wrist, shielded by his robes.

"Dean." The warning is clear, as is the darted look at the woman next to him. "This is Anna's grandmother, Naomi Novak. Mother, this is Anna's good friend, Dean Winchester."

Naomi gives him a once-over, but it isn't as critical a look as he would have expected. "You are the young man who took my granddaughter to prom, aren't you? I recognize you from the pictures Castiel sent me.I noticed you're quite accomplished. Congratulations. Anna tells me you're going to MIT?" She holds her hand out, cold and paper-thin against his own as they shake.

"Yeah, I'm doubling in robotics and computer engineering."

"Very accomplished." She darts a look at Castiel that sends a shiver of unease down Dean's spine. Dean wonders if she would give Castiel that same look if he hadn't put his blockers on that morning.

He's saved from wondering by the voice of his mother coming up behind him. "Congratulations, graduate!" Mary exclaims, pulling Dean into a tight embrace as soon as he turns to her. His dad is walking along with his grandparents, and Charlie is on Grandma Campbell's other side, chatting away. Dean sees a flash of a camera phone as he hugs his mother back and looks over to see Sam grinning with his phone in front of his face. He makes a face at the camera, and accepts congratulations from the rest of his family. In the meantime, Anna has come out of the woodwork, looking prettier than anyone in a giant white robe has the right to look as she hugs her grandmother and father. She grins at Dean and hugs him, too.

When they pull away, Dean's surprised to see Grandpa Henry talking to Mrs. Novak, greeting her as if they've known each other for years. She actually looks happy to see him, a warm smile overtaking her face and changing the dynamic of it completely. This way, Dean can see a little bit of Anna's smile. "When Anna told me her friend's last name was Winchester, I never imagined he would be related to you, Henry. How is New Haven?"

Dean turns to his family to see if they are any less surprised by this than he is, but his mother is wide-eyed watching them and his dad looks like he'd like to melt into the pavement or murder every single student surrounding him. Mary takes his elbow with a warm smile. "How about we go take pictures on the lawn over there and then we can go to dinner. Maybe Anna and her family would like to come with us? It looks like your grandpa and Anna's grandma are old friends. Maybe they'd like to catch up?"

Dinner with Cas and his family? He'd managed to avoid the dinner party he was worried about in the winter. Would this be worse, now that he knew what Cas tasted like and how well his cock filled Dean up? Then again, he needed to talk to Cas. Maybe this was the perfect opportunity to make that happen. "Yeah, maybe."

Mary turns to Castiel and Anna with a warm smile. "We were planning on going to Reggio's for a celebratory pizza. Would you two like to come with us?" she asks, arm tightly wound around Dean's waist as if to ensure he doesn't escape before he can go to dinner with them. Not that he was planning to.

Castiel looks to Anna, who nods at him with a tiny smile. "We'd love to, wouldn't we, Dad?"

"That is very nice of you to invite us. Of course, we'd love to come," Castiel answers, eyes flickering over Dean with a nervous little smile. Dean is absolutely getting a seat next to him.

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/VLYQHyX)

 

Dean gets the seat, but it's not as much of a win as he would have expected. Castiel spends most of their meal talking to Mary and John, and barely even looks at Dean, even when Dean hooks his ankle around Cas' under the table. He doesn't move his foot, though, which is nice. Dean rubs his ankle up and down against Cas', feeling the warmth of his skin through his dress pants. Cas eventually puts a hand on his knee, squeezing in what feels like a warning. Dean doesn't pay attention to it except to reach down and thread their fingers together. The hand slides away a moment later.

When Cas excuses himself to the restroom, Dean follows as inconspicuously as he can. Cas is at a urinal when he walks in, and his eyes cloud over when he sees Dean. Dean leans his ass on the sink counter to wait, watching without shame.

"You shouldn't be in here."

"You haven't talked to me the entire night. Are you ignoring me now?"

Cas checks behind him at the stalls. "I'm trying to avoid temptation. You are making it very difficult for me." He finishes at the urinal and walks over to Dean to wash his hands. Dean turns to face him as he does.

"You don't have to, though." He reaches out to touch Cas' arm.

"I do. Please stop making it so hard."

Dean doesn't listen. Instead, he slides even closer, right into Cas' space, and scents his neck. "Do you regret the other night, Alpha?" he asks, because he has no shame when it comes to Castiel.

Cas clamps a hand on the edge of the counter, squeezing his eyes shut. "You can't call me that. Not when we're alone. Not in a crowd of people. Not… ever. What happened the other night was a mistake. A very pleasant mistake, but a mistake all the same."

"Was it?" Dean asks, running his fingers up and down the Latin scrawled up Cas' forearm.

"I'm too old for you."

"I don't care about that. And I don't think you really do either, Alpha." He reaches out again, batting his eyelashes a little as he trails his fingers up Castiel's wet palm.

"Please be reasonable," Castiel pleads, eyes going liquid with a mix of desire and desperation. He twists slowly to face Dean, belying his words. Dean nudges his nose against Cas' jaw, taking in his deep, woodsy scent. Cas sways closer, mouth brushing against Dean's. Dean presses back, fingers wrapping around Cas' bicep to keep steady. Hands curl over his hips, holding him in place as Cas teases at his lips with his tongue, testing even as Dean opens to him. It's sensual and slow and toe-curlingly good.

And over instantly as the door swings open and Henry Winchester enters the bathroom. They pull apart and Dean pretends to wipe his hands on a paper towel. "I can start on Monday, if you want."

Castiel nods, clearly a little confused but hiding it well. "Yes, that would be very helpful. Thank you, Dean."

"Cool. Do you need any help with the paint?" Dean asks. He'd meant to bring the subject of his offer to paint the house up again anyway. He hopes Cas will catch on quickly.

Recognition lights his eyes. "No, no, I'll have everything ready for you."

"Cool. I'll come by around 9, then?"

"Perfect."

They look at each other then, an entirely different conversation happening between them that Dean isn't sure he likes the conclusion of. "It's not my place to question, but Dean, son, this seems like an awfully strange conversation to have in a public restroom. Couldn't you have talked to Castiel about this at the table?" Grandpa Henry asks, walking over to them to wash his hands.

Dean blushes, and Castiel looks away, straightening his waste coat. "I'm trying to get out of working at the garage, Grandpa. I didn't want Dad to know about painting Mr. Novak's house until I left the house to do it. You know how he is."

Grandpa Henry seems to think this over for a moment before nodding. "I do. Carry on, then."

"I think we've finished this conversation. I would love to hear more about your work at Yale, sir," Castiel says, following Grandpa Henry out. Dean lets himself pout for a moment before following behind them. He doesn't get another opportunity to talk to Castiel—or kiss him—and Castiel makes sure to brush any touches away after they take their seats again. Dean leaves even more determined than ever to get his way with Castiel.

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/VLYQHyX)

 

**Painting Day 1:**

"What are you even wearing?" Anna asks, looking him up and down over the rim of her sunglasses.

He grins and shakes his almost-exposed ass at her. "Just tryin' to stay cool in the heat. You don't like them?" he asks.

She laughs, shaking her head at him. "You are such a dork. Are those even comfortable?"

"So comfortable. I might as well not be wearing anything." He wiggles his ass a little more as he leans over to stir the paint.

"You know you're supposed to wear, like clothes to paint houses, right? So you don't get paint literally everywhere and have to scrub your skin raw getting it off?"

Dean shrugs, unconcerned. Getting paint all over his skin is only going to make him more enticing to look at. "I'll live."

"I don't want to know what Dad's going to say when he sees you. I'm heading to work. Have fun." She waves at him, still shaking her head as she walks around to the front of the house to head off to day camp. Dean grins to himself. He can't wait to see what Cas says about his short shorts either.

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/FZ41yRq)

 

"What are you wearing?" Cas asks, walking up behind Dean, who is up high on the ladder working his way down a line of wooden slats with a paintbrush.

Dean looks down at him, wiggling his ass just a little. "Shorts. Don't you like them?"

"I thought you didn't 'do shorts'." Cas uses fingers quotes, and Dean wants to climb down the damn ladder to kiss him for it.

"I wore them just for you, Alpha. Don't you like them?" He wiggles a little more, pleased at the way Cas' gaze heats up on Dean's ass.

"I thought you agreed to drop the Alpha thing."

"I thought you liked it when I called you Alpha."

Castiel throws his arms up and walks away, muttering about temptation and stubborn omegas. Dean can't help but laugh at his flustered appearance.

 

**Painting Day 2:**

Dean is up on the ladder again, his shorts pulled tight against his ass as he stretches to reach a set of slatted shingles when he hears footsteps in the grass. "You're doing good work. How are you doing on paint?"

"I don't know, what do you think?" Dean pokes his ass out, the underside of his cheeks on display from the cut-off shorts and smeared with pale gray paint. Cas' eyes darken again, and Dean's downwind enough to smell his arousal in the air.

"You're going to kill me. Just keep the paint on the house, please?"

"Whatever you want, Alpha."

"Stop calling me Alpha, please."

"Or what? Are you going to spank me, Alpha?" Dean bats his eyes down at Cas, running a hand down his jean-covered ass cheek and smacking it lightly.

Castiel walks away in another huff, throwing his arms up as if to ward off the temptation. Dean laughs.

 

**Painting Day 3:**

Dean is standing on the balcony railing, up on tip-toes to reach the slats just under the roof overhang. It's a precarious position, but if he doesn't look down, he's fine, and the balcony isn't wide enough for the ladder. There's a bonus in that he's standing right in front of the window off Cas' office, and he knows Cas is writing today. Anna told him Cas would probably be cocooned all day doing just that before she'd gone off to work that morning.

"What are you doing? You're going to fall and kill yourself," Cas says, hurrying over to hold onto his calves to keep him balanced. The touch has the opposite effect, and Dean has to twist around and grab the side of the house so he doesn't topple backwards.

"The ladder couldn't reach," he says, looking down at Castiel through his braced arms. He is instantly aware of how close to Cas' mouth his crotch is and smirks. "Thanks for rescuing me, Alpha."

The fingers around his calf tighten. "Please come down from there. I'll rent a taller ladder."

"What are you gonna do with me if I come down?" Dean leans his hips closer to Cas' face and is rewarded with a warm puff of air as Cas sighs.

"Please just come down."

"Yes, sir," Dean says in his best innocent voice. He drops his hands down on Cas' shoulders and uses him as leverage to hop down, making sure to 'fall' right into his open arms. "Oops. Thanks for saving me, Alpha," he says, batting his lashes.

"Careful, or you'll overexert your flirting muscles," he deadpans, even as his hands slide over Dean's hips.

"I could exert some other muscles…" Dean squeezes Cas' shoulders, fingers dipping into a hole in the fabric near his clavicle and stroking the skin there.

"You're incorrigible."

"You're not saying no," Dean murmurs, bumping his nose with Cas'. Cas lets out a little growl and nips at Dean's bottom lip, fingers dragging the frayed edges of his shorts up and grazing the skin of his ass cheeks.

"You have no respect for boundaries."

"Not when I think they're stupid. I'm not even in high school anymore." He walks his fingers up Cas' nape and into his hair, scratching up his scalp.

"Don't remind me."

"Too tempting?" Dean can smell his arousal, the scent thicker with every second they're pressed together like this. Dean drags his other hand over Cas' chest, snagging on every hole in his shirt to tease at his bare skin, tracing the edge of the brambled heart over his chest, the symbols etched down his side.

"You have no idea. I've been wanting to get you out of these shorts for three days." His fingers clench at the edges of his shorts, bunching them up so that they lift his ass cheeks and pull him half on his toes.

"Only thing stopping you is you, Alpha."

Cas growls and shoves him back into the corner of the house and kisses him in the shade of the ornamental grass. Dean moans into his mouth, kissing back with just as much enthusiasm. His hand drifts further down Cas' torso to cup his hard cock, hidden underneath his lounge pants, even as Cas' hands pull up the legs of his shorts and squeeze his bare ass. Cas' cock is rock hard in his cupped hand and he strokes it through the soft jersey fabric, tracing along the head and spreading out over the width of his shaft, stroking down to reach his balls, fat and heavy in his palm.

Cas makes little growly noises between sucks of his tongue that feel so good they make Dean want to melt, until he actually does onto his knees. He immediately begins to suck and tease at Cas' cock, the fabric rough against his tongue. He glances up to see Cas bracing himself against the wall, head dropped between his arms to watch Dean. The heady scent of alpha lust makes him feel a little drunk as he pulls the pants down just far enough for Cas' shaft to swing free. It smacks Dean in the cheek, and the sensation feels so great he slaps himself in the cheek with it a few more times, grinning up at the loud groan it earns him. Cas threads fingers in his hair to help direct him as he takes the shaft into his mouth, lips stretched wide around him. He bobs his head a few times before relaxing his throat the way he's practiced on his fake knot at home and encouraging Cas to fuck his mouth, getting him nice and wet.

Cas only thrusts a few times before he's hauling Dean back up to his feet and turning him around with a rough grip on his upper arms. He pushes a hand between Dean's shoulder blades, forcing him to bend at the waist and hold himself up against the railing. Fumbling hands unbutton his shorts and push them down his hips until they've pooled at his feet. Dean reaches down to pull one of the condoms he's been keeping with him out of a pocket and holding it over his shoulder for Cas to take. He does, and the sounds of the foil wrapper tearing and the wet sound of the condom being rolled on fill the otherwise quiet afternoon air. Dean grabs onto the railing with a grin, trying to look behind him to see Cas push into him.

It burns a little without the usual prep, but Dean's wet enough to ease the way. He grips the railing tight as a moan punches out of him. "Oh fuck," he whines, pushing back on Cas' cock.

"Fuck, you're beautiful like this, all stretched open and taking my cock so well," Cas growls into his ear, stretching his upper half flat against Dean's back and gripping the railing right next to his hand. Dean pushes back again, harder, grinning at how good it feels.

"You fill me up so good, Alpha. Wanna live on your cock."

Cas fucks into him, every thrust harder than the last, even as he buries his face in Dean's shoulder. "God, I wanted to fuck you on that bathroom counter the night of your graduation. The things you do to me."

"You can fuck me anytime you want, Alpha. Anywhere. You make me feel so good," Dean rasps out, trying to keep his breath even as Cas fucks it out of him.

He doesn't last long between the anticipation and the filthy things Cas is telling him and the sharp snaps of his hips against Dean's. Dean's spilling onto the deck planks before he even registers that he's close, shaking and crying out as Cas continues to fuck brutally into him. Cas doesn't last much longer, grunting into his ear and clamping his teeth over the junction of Dean's neck and shoulder right where a mating mark might go. It doesn't break skin, but there's no doubt there's going to be a nice bruise.

Dean lets himself recover from the convulsive orgasm he's just been given, clenching around Cas' knot periodically and enjoying the punched-out moan each one causes. Eventually he shifts his torso around to reach for Cas and kiss him. When he pulls away, he's a smiling idiot, but he doesn't care. He got to feel that glorious cock inside him again, got to feel Cas' mesmerizing hands on him again, his mouth. Dean wants to curl up in his lap and never get up again. Cas cradles his head and kisses back with careful consideration.

When they pull away, Cas' eyes are warm with affection. "This is a terrible idea," he says without conviction.

"This? Are we making this a thing?" Dean asks with all the hope of an enthusiastic puppy angling for a treat.

Cas pushes his sweaty hair from his face and pecks his lips. "There's no point fighting it. You are all I can think about anymore."

"You're all I think about, too. That's why I've been so pushy."

"Yes, and we'll talk about that later. You need to be able to respect my boundaries. Even if I wish to go against them myself."

"It was worth it." Dean takes Cas' wrist in his hand and kisses his knuckles.

"Not the point. For now, though, let's find some air conditioning until my knot goes down." He starts backing towards the balcony doors, gently pulling Dean with him. It's awkward, but they manage to fumble their way into Cas' desk chair, Dean shifting around until he's facing Cas better for a kiss. They don't stop until his knot goes down.

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/VLYQHyX)

 

"I feel like I haven't seen you all summer, Winchester. Where you been?" Charlie says as she punches him on the arm.

He grins, unable to hide how happy he is. "I've been at the Novaks', painting the house. And uh… other stuff."

Charlie rolls her eyes before apparently realizing his meaning and doing a double-take. "Other stuff? What 'other stuff'?"

Dean rubs the back of his neck, his cheeks warming a little. "I uh… might have snuck over to the house after prom when I ditched you guys. Things happened. They're still happening."

"Oh. My. God. You're fucking Mr. Novak?!" Charlie emphasizes each word with a smack to his chest, her mouth agape.

"…Yeah?"

Charlie appears to be speechless for a long moment, the two of them standing in front of her tent while knights and minstrals and ladies in waiting wander past them, all giving them skeptical looks. "I. I can't. I have no words. You're really—" She shakes her head like there's water in her ear. "Holy Yoda. Okay. Well. That's nice to know. No wonder I haven't seen you. I'm surprised you're here today."

"I tried to talk him into coming, but he didn't want to have to try to explain it to Anna."

"Anna. Does she know?"

"No, god no. She's been working at a day camp all summer. She's pretty much never home when I'm over there."

Charlie appears to process this. While she does, Gilda walks up to them in full elf regalia, her long velvet gown trailing through the grass behind her. "Is everything alright, my lady? You appear flushed."

Charlie turns to her, blinking dumbly. "Dean's having sex with Anna's dad," she tells Gilda without inflection.

"Advertise that to the entire camp, why don't you?" Dean says, waving at the dozen or so people within hearing distance. Meanwhile, Gilda is staring at him with the same expression as Charlie.

"Are you really..." Gilda asks, her elf make-up making her expression even more dramatic.

 Dean shoots a look at Charlie. "Can we talk about this somewhere not in the middle of the field where everyone can hear us?"

"You had no problem two minutes ago."

"Two minutes ago you weren't practically shouting my sex life to the entire camp."

"Fine. We'll convene to my chambers, and then you are going to explain yourself." She leads them inside the tent and into her inner sanctum, less private than Dean would like, but it will have to do.

He sits down in one of the chairs set up for them. "Look, this isn't that big a deal."

"You're sleeping with our friend's dad. That's a pretty big deal," Charlie tells him, pacing in front of the seating area.

"It's not like I haven't told you I wanted to bone him from pretty much day one."

"Yeah, but that was theoretical. I didn't think you had a chance in hell of it actually happening! He's forty!"

"Yeah, he is. So?"

"He's literally old enough to be your dad."

"Uh huh."

"And you're..." She pauses, turning sharply to look at him. "Are you letting him knot you?"

"We're using protection."

Charlie and Gilda both look taken aback by this. Charlie collapses into a chair across from him. Gilda sweeps into the chair next to her, brushing her train around the chair leg without taking her eyes off Dean. She looks concerned, which is... weird. He has never seen Gilda show so much emotion for anyone other than Charlie.

Charlie rubs at her face. "Dean, how can you do that? Even if you're using protection, there are other chemical interchanges when you let an alpha knot you. Pheromone exchanges. What if you accidentally bonded with him? Or to him without reciprocity? What if you blow your suppressants and go into heat? There are like a hundred reasons not to do that. And none of them can be prevented with a condom."

Dean looks down at his boots, uncomfortably aware of their eyes on him. "I wouldn't mind bonding with him," he says, so quietly he hopes they won't hear him.

"Dean Henry Winchester. I know I didn't just hear you wanting to throw your life away for a knot."

"That isn't what's happening here, Charlie. Come on. I'm not stupid."

"You look pretty stupid to me. Gilda?"

"This is very unwise, Dean."

Dean stands with a growl, tugging at his hair. He can't stand their judgey eyes on him. "I'm not going to accidentally bond with him, okay? We're fucking. It's fun and really hot and I like being with him. I'm not going to let it get serious. I'm going to Cambridge in a month. We both know that. It's fine."

"But what if it's not? What if you do bond with him, and then the bond breaks and you're dealing with that by yourself, a thousand miles from your support system."

"That's not going to happen, Charlie. You're blowing this way out of proportion."

"I'm worried about you. We're worried about you." She reaches out to hold Gilda's hand, and Gilda nods solemnly. "We don't want to see you get hurt."

"I'm not going to. It's fine."

There's quiet for the moment, the air thick with the words Charlie clearly wants to say, but doesn't know how to. Dean re-takes his seat, resigned to waiting for more lecture.

"So you want to keep having sex with your friend's dad, fine. I can ignore the dad thing. I can ignore the twenty-year age gap. But do you have to let him knot you, really? I know how those desires can go, Dean, but it's such a risk."

He stretches out a leg, staring at his nobly knee, trying not to pout. She's hard to argue with when she's logical. But she's also a lesbian. Female alpha knots just aren't the same. At least not from what he's seen in porn. "I'll think about it," he says eventually, not wanting to deal with their stares any longer.

"Please do. Pregnancy might not be an issue, but there's more than just your body to consider. You need to be careful of your heart." Gilda stretches out a hand across the space between them and squeezes his hand gently, but firmly. When he meets her eyes, he's met with an earnest sincerity that unravels him. If even Gilda's worried about this, maybe he should reconsider the knotting part. Maybe.

He squeezes her hand back, and that seems to be the end of it. At least for the moment.

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/VLYQHyX)

 

Castiel wanders out of his office with the objective of finding Dean, long over denying himself the pleasure of the young man's company. He's already crossed the moral line, and besides, it's only until the end of the summer, he likes to remind himself. He finds Dean in his bathroom, bare-chested as usual, scrubbing off the teal paint Cas picked out for the trim work. It's a nice contrast to his tanned skin. Cas walks up behind him and wraps his arms around his stomach, leaning in to smell the sunshine and sweat and sweet scent of him. "Sometimes you smell so good, I could eat you," he says, clamping his teeth over Dean's shoulder in a teasing facsimile of a bite.

Dean leans back into him. "You gonna do more than nibble there, Alpha?"

Cas laves over the area with his tongue, soothing the red imprints of teeth. "I was thinking about having a meal before dinner."

"Oh?" Dean raises a brow at him in the mirror.

He nods, hiding his smile in Dean's shoulder blade. He nibbles his way down the strong lines of Dean's back, taught muscles shifting and loosening under his mouth. Dean juts his hips back when Cas gets to his knees, his perfect, perky ass on full display. Cas makes quick work of the infamous shorts that proved to be the demise of his moral center, sliding them down Dean's hips and dropping them at his feet, pushing Dean's right leg up and onto the counter to give him more access. Dean easily moves where he indicates, leaning over the counter with a moan as Castiel's tongue finds his pink, furled hole, already showing signs of slick. Castiel thumbs over it a few times, enjoying the way his touch makes Dean shiver and whine, before setting his mouth over the opening, reveling in his meal.

Dean eventually convinces him that they need a shower, one that includes quite a bit of kissing, but not a great deal of actual soap. When they get out, Dean is the warm, happy omega Castiel would like him to be always. "I should probably go soon," he says, arms wrapped around Castiel's neck. Castiel's face is once more buried in the crook of his neck, taking in the dampness of his scent.

"Why now? I wasn't done enjoying you yet."

"Isn't Anna coming home soon? I thought you didn't want her to find us like this."

"I don't, but she isn't coming home tonight. She's staying at a friend's house."

Dean pulls away, clearly surprised by this. "She is?" When Castiel nods, leaning back in to lick at the soft skin of Dean's Adam's apple, Dean's blunt nails scritch at his scalp. "So that means I could… we could…"

"All night, yes. Do you still want to go home?"

"Not if I get to spend all night with you, Alpha."

Cas can't resist kissing him with that kind of answer.

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/VLYQHyX)

 

In bed, Castiel is sitting with his feet underneath him and Dean's lower half raised into his lap, both waiting for his knot to go down. Cas leans over Dean, lapping at the cum on his belly until his skin is clean and all Cas can taste is his cinnamon-sweet flavor. He continues with kisses, mapping out Dean's upper body with his mouth while Dean combs fingers through his hair. Dean watches him, but only in the way one watches a train pass while thinking of other things. Castiel leaves him to his thoughts.

"You don't talk about your mate," Dean says a while later, hesitant but curious.

Castiel pauses in his kisses. He didn't think Dean even realized Anna's mother was his mate, let alone that he would think of her, and during such an intimate moment between them. "She died a long time ago. There's nothing to talk about."

"Have you thought about having another mate?"

"No." _Liar_. "I don't think I could go through the heartache of losing a mate again."

Dean chews on his bottom lip, considering this. "What if it happened on accident?"

"An accidental mating? They're rare."

"Not as rare as the media puts out. I've looked into it. Accidental bondings are about 30% of bonds created. People exchange pheromones while they're knotting. A condom breaks and suddenly there's a fluid exchange, and then…" Dean gestures with his hand, invoking the sign of a mating mark on his neck.

"What has you thinking about mating?" Cas asks so he doesn't have to answer the original question.

"Something Charlie said. She doesn't think I should be letting you knot me." He doesn't look at Castiel, focusing instead on his hands twisting over his chest. Cas takes them and presses them down into the sheets to pull Dean's focus back to him. There's a lot to unpack in this statement, a lot Cas needs to address, but looking down into Dean's wide, vulnerable eyes, he finds it difficult to know where to start.

"Charlie knows about what we've been doing?"

Dean looks to the side, mouth turned down in a frown that looks almost hurt. "She's practically my sister. I've never lied to her about anything. Ever." His eyes dart back up to Castiel's, and yes, there is definitely hurt. "She's not going to tell anyone, if that's what you're worried about."

Cas leans up to kiss his forehead, wanting to make the hurt go away, realizing as he does that he's perhaps more gone on the boy than he originally thought. "I wasn't worried about that," he lies. Scenarios are already swirling through his head. Would Charlie think it her duty to inform Anna that their mutual friend is sleeping with her father? Charlie isn't as good friends with Anna as she is with Dean, he knows, but if she doesn't approve of their activities… And how did she know they were knotting? It's wrong. He knows they shouldn't be doing it, not without the intention of mating. Certainly not with Dean being so young and less than a month from moving half-way across the country for several years. There are risks involved, serious emotional and hormonal risks, more so for Dean than Castiel. But he hasn't seen any of the signs of a hormonal bonding yet. Dean doesn't seem desperate for touch or affection. He doesn't smell like Castiel when they haven't been having sex. Castiel isn't more drawn to the young omega now than he was at the start of the summer. So he occasionally has dreams that feature Dean with his mark, fat with his pups. It doesn't mean anything. It can't mean anything.

Dean's not longer avoiding his gaze when he wanders out of his own thoughts. "You're worried. I get it. I would be, too, probably. But Charlie's good at keeping secrets when she has to be."

Castiel sits back on his haunches to chew that over for a moment, unsure if he completely believes Dean. Unsure if Dean completely believes it himself. He takes as subtle a deep breath as he can manage and settles his hands on Dean's hips. "Why does she have an opinion on how we have sex?"

Dean shifts under his hands, momentarily squeezing his muscles and shooting intense bolts of pleasure up Cas' cock. He has to clench his fingers on Dean's skin to keep from coming again. "She asked if I was letting you knot me. I told her the truth. She… freaked out on me. She thinks I could go into spontaneous heat if we're not careful. Or that we could accidentally bond. Or it could just be a one-way thing. She had a lot to say about it."

"Obviously you've decided to ignore her advice." He tilts his hips up for emphasis.

Dean nods, a tiny blush rosining his cheeks. "Why would I want to give this up? I love being tied to you." He grinds down on Cas' knot, jolting him once more.

"I am also quite fond of it." He doesn't say that he likes it because he likes having Dean so close to him in such an unguarded moment as the post-coital stupor. Doesn't say he likes having the excuse to coddle Dean without being called out on it. Or that secretly, in the darkest part of his heart, he yearns for the sort of bond Dean's friend fears for them. He doesn't say these things because he knows they are wrong. He has no right to want these things, to even think them. This is supposed to be a purely physical relationship, much more like his relationship with Meg. Lots of sex, none of the cuddling afterwards. No feelings involved. And yet.

And yet when he looks at Dean, all he wants to do is touch. Kiss. Hold. Bite.

"What if we…" Dean starts, but then seems to think better of the thought. Castiel understands what is unsaid. He'd been thinking it himself, after all.

"We won't."

"But if we did? …Would it be so bad?"

Cas sit back on his feet again, back straight, knocked out of his little emotional stupor by the question. "You are still very young, Dean. You shouldn't want that."

"I didn't say I did or didn't want it. I'm just asking if it would be a terrible thing if it happened. We're good together, aren't we? Not just the sex, but like, the rest of it?" There's doubt all over his face and his voice is less steady than usual, but Castiel gets the impression the doubt is all waiting for his reaction to the words and not Dean's belief in them. A pool of cold bile sinks into his stomach.

He pulls away from Dean without thinking, but his knot must have gone down while they were talking because he slips away easily. "I'm going to get a cloth to clean us up. This conversation will be over when I get back." He climbs off the bed, ignoring the dejected look of Dean as he rolls onto his side. Cas pads into the bathroom and pulls the condom off with a grimace, tying off the pool of cum and tossing it in the trash. He wets a washcloth with warm water and washes himself off, all the while trying to ignore the dread in his gut. How could he have let this get so far out of hand? Accidental matings? God, this was a phenomenally terrible idea.

"We're not knotting anymore," he tells Dean when he comes back into the bedroom. Dean is curled in on himself on his side, facing away from the door. He climbs back onto the bed and leans over Dean, not looking at his face as he reaches between his legs and wipes him clean of slick. The bedroom no longer smells of alpha arousal and happy, sated omega. Now all Castiel can smell is rejection. It breaks his heart, but it's a necessary evil. Better now than later.

"Do you want me to go?"

The quiet, broken way Dean asks melts a little of the cold determination in Cas' heart. "No, sweetheart, of course not." He wraps Dean up in his arms, pulling his back flush against Cas' chest and tucking his knees in behind Dean's. "Charlie's right, though. Knotting's a big risk. I don't think we should be taking it, not if…" He trails off, pressing a kiss to the nape of Dean's neck. He doesn't relax, but he doesn't pull away either.

"Whatever you want, Alpha."

Cas presses his forehead to Dean's skin and holds him tight, trying with everything in him not to shatter inside with those four broken words.

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/VLYQHyX)

 

When Cas opens the door, he's wearing a very loose tank and black jeans with holes and tears all down the legs. He looks as worn  as his clothes, a little sleep-deprived. His eyes light up in surprise upon seeing Dean, but the look is quickly squashed down to confusion. "Dean. I didn't expect you today."

Dean drops his eyes to his feet, twisting his car keys in his hands, remembering what it felt like for Cas to tell him they couldn't knot again. "I wanted to see you again before I leave. We haven't really… talked since…"

Cas opens the door wider, eyes focused on the neighborhood and not on Dean. "You're right. I haven't paid you for painting the house yet," he says.

It's a punch to Dean's heart. "You know that's not why I did it, Alpha," Dean says, unable to keep the dejection from his voice as he walks in the house. Maybe this was a bad idea. When he turns around at the close of the door, Cas looks pained.

"I didn't mean that, Dean. The neighbors started asking questions when they noticed your car in the driveway overnight."

"So?"

"I didn't want them to say something to Anna."

It doesn't make Dean feel better. He crosses his arms over his chest and glares. "You didn't worry about that when you were knotting me on your balcony. Or the pool chair. Or in the hot tub. Or on the back porch swing."

"Yes, I made many mistakes this summer. Thank you for reminding me."

"I'm a mistake, huh? Good thing I'm leaving for school, then."

"It is. I won't be here when you come back for breaks."

It's another punch, and it knocks Dean back a step. He rubs at his chest like he's just been doled a physical blow. There might be tears in his eyes. "Wow. Didn't realize I was that disgusting to you. I guess I'll go, then." He moves to push passed Cas, but Cas' hands come up to grip his shoulders, trapping him and forcing eye contact.

"That isn't what I meant, and you know it. I am no good for you, and I should never have given in to your whims knowing that. You deserve someone a hundred times better than me."

"I don't want anyone else. All I wanted was you," Dean tells him, a little disarmed by the soft sadness in Cas' watery blue eyes.

Cas shakes his head, his hands tightening just a little on Dean's shoulders. "Dean, I am a forty-year-old recluse writer with a drinking problem and a daughter your age. The last thing you should be thinking about is bonding with me, accidental or not. You're going off to college and starting your life. I can't hold you back from that."

"You aren't. I don't want to mate you tomorrow, or anything. I just wouldn't have minded if it happened on it's own. If you don't want that, that's fine. But don't hide behind this bullshit about you being too old for me. I didn't care the first time I saw you, and I don't care now."

"You will, though. I don't want to be around when you do." He cups Dean's cheeks, holding him in place as their eyes lock. "I care about you a great deal. I know you are going to make someone very happy one day. But that person can't be me, no matter how much I would like it to be." He kisses Dean, soft and chaste and so, so painful. "Go to school. Work hard. Date. Find someone you can love. Let me be a memory and move on."

It hurts. Dean's insides shatter with every word. But then he takes a deep breath. And another. He nods. Forces a smile. "Whatever you want, Alpha," he says, feeling the finality of it down to his toes. Cas lets him go with a kiss to the forehead and moves to the hall table. Dean reaches for the doorknob, but Cas holds up his hand before Dean can leave. He pulls out a drawer in the side table to takes something from it, then turns and tucks it into Dean's shirt pocket. Money. Fucking money for painting the house.

"Take care of yourself, Dean."

Dean doesn't say anything as he leaves, too angry to be able to soften his words. Paid like a common whore. Dean knows he wasn't being paid for the sex, that he did legitimate work for Castiel that they'd agreed ahead of time would be paid. But still. It makes him feel cheap and disgusting as he stomps back to his car and slams the door too hard to shut it. He'll prove Cas wrong if it's the last thing he does.

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/VLYQHyX)

 

Marathon sex is the extent of their communication in the weeks after Dean leaves. Castiel has never tried so hard to fuck his way into forgetting someone with such pour results. He hasn't been this sexually frustrated since his last rut, shortly after his mate died over a decade ago. Panting and dripping with sweat and still jello from his latest orgasm, Castiel flops back against the wall, eyes shut tight in an attempt to trick himself into believing it's Dean astride his lap, but the scent isn't right.

Meg pushes weak fingers through his sweaty hair and presses her lips to his forehead. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were a teenager in rut, Alpha," she says with a hint of amusement.

Cas winces. "Don't call me that."

"What? 'Alpha'? Why not? That what your precious little twink called you?"

He opens his eyes to her smirk, just a hair from bitter. He sighs. This isn't fair. Not to her, and not to him. Until he gets his head on straight and finds a real way to put Dean aside, this will never work out. And the way she looks at him, he isn't certain he wants it to work out. There's just a touch too much bite to her words. "I can't do this anymore," he tells her, gently pushing her off his spent cock and his lap.

"Oh, fuck off. I was only playing with you. You don't need to take everything so seriously, Clarence." Meg gets up and brushes her knees off, looking annoyed at him, but not upset.

"No, that's not why… I need to… figure this out. I can't spend the rest of my life in meaningless sex, pining after an omega twenty years my junior. And I can't keep using you. It's wrong."

"You think you're the only one using someone here? That's what our relationship _is_. I use you for that fan-fucking-tastic cock of yours. You use me so you don't have to think about emotions. Don't ruin a good thing."

Cas gets up, throws the condom away, and begins hunting down his clothes. "It isn't enough for me. I can't get Dean out of my head no matter how many times I come here. I can't keep doing this. It isn't healthy."

"And pining after a college kid is?" She crosses her arms over her naked chest, raising a brow at him. With the mess of her tangled hair and the bruises dotting her chest and collarbone, she looks like an incredulous succubus. The sight does more to turn his stomach than turn him on.

"No, but I need to find something that is. I'm sorry, Meg. I've enjoyed your friendship. And everything else. But this is the last time we're doing this."

"Fuck you, Clarence. Get out if you don't want to fuck me anymore. I'll have someone new tonight." She grabs her half-empty pack of cigarettes on the dresser and lights one, no longer looking at him. He begins gathering his clothes, suddenly the most ashamed in himself that he has ever been. He is out of the house within a few minutes, shoes still untied and clothes askew, already calling his real estate agent.

"I need to be somewhere else. Can you send me options for Prague?"

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/wnP7W9f)

 

**5 Years Later…**

Butterflies. Cold sweat on the back of his neck. He's been anticipating this meeting for five long, lonely years. What if he moved on? What if he's already mated to someone else? Probably not Meg, but someone else? Someone new?

It feels like an eternity between the bell ringing and the door opening to… Anna. Older, still so pretty. Her hair is bobbed now and a little darker than he remembers, and she's wearing glasses. "Dean, oh my god, I can't believe it's you." She reaches up on tip-toes with a giant smile and pulls him into a hug.

He returns the hug, happy to see her, even if that hadn't been his goal in coming. "Hey, good to see you, too. Like the new hair," he tells her, flicking at a lock of it.

She laughs, making a face at the action, and ushers him into the house. "Thanks. Don't look so bad yourself, there. Come on in, and I'll get you a drink."

They walk the long way to the kitchen, Anna pointing out changes to the house and catching up on what they've missed since high school. "Dad's been on such a traveling kick ever since I went to school. This is the first time I've been home during a school break since graduation. It's kind of weird." She hands him a beer, and they settle on stools at the kitchen island, looking each other over, taking stock.

"Is your dad home now?" he asks, because his skin is already buzzing with too much anticipation not to.

"Yeah, he's up in his office. Deadline looming, you know how he gets. I'll drag him down for dinner at some point." She takes a swig of beer, shrugging. "So, tell me what you've been up to. Masters in robotics from Georgia Tech is impressive. Are you going for your doctorate?"

"Yeah, I've got a fellowship in the fall at Carnegie Mellon. What about you?"

"I went the less glamorous route: nursing. Very rewarding, but not all that sexy." She shrugs again, but Dean's not letting that one go. He nudges her leg with his foot.

"Nurses are hot. You catch a doctor yet?"

"No, but I've got time." She winks, and he feels all the tension melt off of him. No matter what Castiel says, at least he knows he's always got friendship with Anna to fall back on.

They talk for a long time before Dean gets around to suggesting he go up to see her dad. It isn't a difficult ask, and Anna doesn't appear to see anything behind it except a desire to say hello. Dean lets her think that.

The antelope skull still hangs above the door at the end of the hall, now adorned with a crown of black roses tipped with silver glitter that sparkles in the hall light as Dean approaches. He takes a deep breath when he reaches the door before he knocks. The voice he hasn't heard in five years travels through the wood, as deep and warm as Dean remembers. "Come in."

Dean opens the door to a scene so familiar it hurts. There are stacks of papers on the ground, chapters in a book-in-progress, no doubt, and Castiel sitting behind his giant desk, hunched over a laptop. He's wearing a shirt, but there are too many holes in it to really constitute clothing. His network of ink is still visible in the bare spots, gorgeous as ever. As is their owner, who looks up at the sound of the door and freezes with his blue, blue eyes fixed on Dean.

"Hey," Dean says, stepping in and closing the door behind him. He leans against it, unsure if he's welcome further.

"Dean. I thought you were getting your doctorate in Pittsburgh." His voice is soft, almost hushed. Not unhappy. Not dismissive. It gives Dean hope.

He takes a step close, standing at the edge of the paper stack line. "Ash got me a fellowship, but it doesn't start until fall."

"What brings you here?" Cas rolls his chair back from the desk and pivots to face Dean, eyes still glued to his face.

"You know why I'm here," Dean says stepping over a stack.

Cas' expression softens with confusion. "Still? I thought you'd have moved on by now."

"Have you?" Dean asks with his heart in his throat. He doesn't want the answer if it's yes. He maneuvers around another row of paper.

Cas' gaze drifts to his lap. "No."

Hope again. Dean takes another step closer. Just two more rows before he reaches his goal. "I tried. Dated alphas and betas and even another omega, but I kept comparing them to you. They never stacked up."

Cas' voice cracks as he looks up again, tears in his eyes. "I've done the same."

Dean takes another step. "I'm pretty sure it's always gonna be you for me. And it sounds like maybe it might be the same for you."

He steps over the last stack, and finally he's standing a foot away, and Cas is looking up at him with such hope. Dean reaches out and brushes messy strands from Cas' forehead. "What's the point of staying away if neither one of us wants to?"

Cas takes hold of the end of his shirt, as if to make sure Dean doesn't slip away from him. Dean leans down to press his mouth to Cas', intending a chaste brush of lips, a test of the tentative connection between them, but then hands reach for him, and he's in Cas' lap, and it's good. So good. Cas' tongue is still so warm and inviting in Dean's mouth, his hands so solid against Dean's body. He touches Dean with the kind of reverence that makes him feel like a cherished object. His fingers trail over his skin, tracing over and over the sensitive juncture of his neck and shoulder right where a mating mark should go. It feels real and primal and undeniable. It makes Dean moan under his breath and scramble ever closer, clinging to Cas as they re-learn each other's mouths.

Distracted as they are, the footsteps approaching the door go unheard, as does it opening. Only when the surprised gasp breaks through the quiet do they register that they are not alone. Dean pulls away just far enough to see Anna standing in the doorway, hand still on the doorknob, mouth a shocked little O. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea… I just wanted to know if you wanted something to drink. I'll… I'll go."

"Sweetheart, wait. We can explain," Cas says, gently nudging Dean off his lap. Dean slides to his feet and leans his butt against the desk, crossing his arms over his chest. They fucked up, doing that where she could see. Dean fucked up.

Anna doesn't look hurt, though, only flustered. She shakes her head, waving her hands in front of her in a quick gesture of dismissal. "No need to explain. I get it. I uh… maybe should have guessed a while ago." She looks at Dean with an expression he doesn't recognize, but doesn't seem judgemental or angry. Maybe assessing, curious, but nothing negative. "I uh… have to go to work soon, anyway, so I think I'll just change into scrubs and head out now. Are you staying in town, Dean?"

"Yeah, I uh… I don't go down to Austin until after Labor Day."

"Cool. We should hang out. It was good to catch up. And I'm uh… cool with whatever's going on here." She waves an awkward hand in their general direction and backs out of the room. "I'll text you later," she says as a final goodbye before shutting the door for them.

They listen to her footsteps, heavy on the old floorboards. When they retreat into a bedroom, Dean turns to Cas with an apology on his lips. "I'm so sorry, Alpha. I shouldn't have come up here knowing she was in the house. I know how you—"

Cas silences him with a hand on his wrist. "It's alright. I might not have had the courage to tell her if she didn't find out on her own, and I don't want to sneak around behind closed doors with you again."

Dean nods, unhappiness curling in his stomach. "I get it. I'm sorry I came. I should have let you be." He stands, but the hand on his wrists tightens, pulling him closer to Cas again.

"No, that's the opposite of what I meant. You deserve more than to be a dirty little secret. You deserve to be flaunted around town carried on a litter. And I wanted to give you that, but you were so young when we met and I… couldn't. When I ended things, I hoped you would find someone to cherish you the way you deserve, but now that you've come back to me and still want me." His voice falters, a warmth in his eyes that borders on tears. Dean lets himself be dragged back into his lap, draping his arms over Cas' shoulders and looking deep into his eyes. "I don't want you to have any doubt how much I care for you. Ever."

There are a lot of things Dean wants to say. Mushy, heart-felt romance-novel level things. L words and M words and rings and bites and so many other things. But none of them want to come out, so he kisses Cas instead, pouring all that emotion into his kiss. They don't stop for a long time.

Cas calls his real estate agent about a place in Pittsburgh the next day.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want writing updates from me, you can follow me on Twitter [@RonsPigwidgeon](https://twitter.com/RonsPigwidgeon) or Tumblr at [MsCaptainWinchester](https://mscaptainwinchester.tumblr.com/).
> 
> If you want to catch up with frescafish, you can find her on DeviantArt at [FrescaFish](https://frescafish.deviantart.com/) or tumblr at [OntheBanksoftheRiverStupid](https://onthebanksoftheriverstupid.tumblr.com/) and (newly) [FrescaFish](https://frescafish.tumblr.com/).


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